A newspaper columnist complained to the Commission that the SABC had unjustifiably denied him 
the right to reply to an accusation of inaccuracy in his column by the presenter of a programme on SAfm, one of the radio stations of the SABC. He also complained that the presenter had invaded his privacy by having referred to him as “an ageing and bitter Western Cape columnist”.
The Tribunal held that since the dispute dealt with alleged plagiarism the matter was one of controversial public importance and that the SABC was not justified in denying the columnist the opportunity to reply on air against the criticism lodged against him.
As to the question of privacy, it was held that age is a private matter and that the circumstances had not justified the reference. Age was, in any case, irrelevant to the debate. In coming to the conclusion of an invasion of privacy, it was also taken into consideration that there was an innuendo that the “ageing” had contributed to the alleged inaccuracy.
The Tribunal held, in favour of the SABC, that it had not been biased in dealing with the plagiarism issue as a whole.