The Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa today ruled that the SABC had televisionerred when on 22 July it stated that the so-called Eikenhof accused had been erroneously convicted of murder.  

This deduction was made from a confession by the PAC before the TRC that some of their members had committed the crime.  The BCCSA pointed out that the confession before the TRC did not necessarily mean that the conviction was unfounded.  The evidence would first have to be tested by a Court of law. 

Secondly, the BCCSA found that the SABC had unjustifiably linked Colonel Landman, who was involved in the Eikenhof arrest, to the so-called murder squads of Vlakplaas.  Col Landman had not been involved in any activities at Vlakplaas, nor had he been a member of the Security Police. 

In so far as the allegations of torture were concerned, the BCCSA held that the Code had not been contravened, since the allegations were balanced by denials by Col Landman and reference to the judge’s finding that the allegations were not true.  The matter was, in any case, currently sub judice since an appeal to the Appellate Division was pending. 

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