Canning of The Big Debate: R2K suspects political interference
This article was published by Jeanette Chabalala @City Press 24 October 2013 15:25
“Power to the people” and “Secrets kill democracy”.
These were among the slogans supporters of the Right2Know campaign (R2K) displayed during a protest at the SABC over the canning of current affairs show The Big Debate today.
Some of the protesters held placards while others sang and danced as the police looked on.
Last Thursday, City Press reported the SABC had pulled the plug on the current affairs show because it “is against the policies of the SABC to outsource news and current affairs”.
The coordinator of R2K, Dale McKinley, said it was suspected that someone politically connected had complained about the show’s content. McKinley said they would like to remind the SABC that it is a public broadcaster and not a state broadcaster.
“We live in a democracy, not a dictatorship. I do not understand why they said the show was incorrectly commissioned, meanwhile it was aired the whole of last year. It is only in the second season that it is cancelled,” he said.
One of the protesters, Thabo Moloi, said The Big Debate taught him a lot about major issues in the country.
“We need to know what is happening in our government, because at the end of the day we need to vote,” he said.
Right2Know to protest SABC canning The Big Debate
SABC pulls The Big Debate before start of second season
Source: City Press
