CASE NUMBER: 10/2007 – MONTGOMERY VS SABC2 AFRIKAANS NEWS – UNFAIR AND BIASED REPORTING

A complaint was lodged of unfair and biased reporting, based on the discrepancy of content of two news bulletins, one in Afrikaans and one in Pedi (North Sotho). It was averred by Complainant, and admitted by Respondent that the Afrikaans and Pedi news item that covered the same event (the ruling by the Supreme Court of Appeal on the name change of Louis Trichardt) differed in that the last-mentioned one contained “right wing Afrikaner symbols” like the words “On our way back” and an old South African flag painted on a tarred road. The complaint was treated as one of advocacy of hatred and incitement to cause harm because of the Complainant’s reference to “right wing Afrikaner symbols”.  The tribunal stated that it has no jurisdiction over the content of broadcasts in the sense that one news item in one language differs in content from another item in another language, covering the same event. The tribunal can only decide whether the showing of right wing symbols constitute the advocacy of hatred. It was found that the broadcaster was just informing the viewing public of the different political sentiments prevailing in the community.  The mere showing of these “symbols” in a news bulletin was found by the tribunal not to amount to the advocacy of hatred based on race or ethnicity. No contravention of the Code was found and the complaint was dismissed.