SECTOR 3 3.5 The editorial independence of the state/public broadcaster from political influence is guaranteed by law and practised to ensure balance and fair news and current affairs programmes. Although Section 6 of the Broadcasting Act33 provides for the SABC to enjoy “freedom of expression and journalistic, creative and programming independence as enshrined in the Constitution”, in practice this does not happen, and news and current affairs programmes tend not to be balanced or fair. Panellists agreed that there has been considerable political interference for years at the national broadcaster. Scheduled programmes have been known to be censored before broadcast if they include controversial comments, which could put the ruling party in a negative light. This happened in December 2012, when the SABC told cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, also known as Zapiro, that his prerecorded interview with SABC’s Interface programme would not be screened as a result of “orders from above” due to his comments about President Zuma. Not long before this, a talk show on the SABC radio station Metro FM about the buildup to the ANC’s Mangaung conference was also cancelled, as the ANC felt the political journalists’ contribution on the show was unbalanced, i.e. not in favour of the ruling party. Political analysts have been pulled off shows without warning and current affairs producers and presenters have been taken to task if it is felt the government or the president have been presented in a negative light. Even when a programme is already on air, staff have received calls “from well-connected ANC members, political connected people and SABC bosses” to pull the programme immediately. “It is well known that if staff speak out about their experiences of such censorship, they will be side-lined… Political interference at the SABC is driven by a lack of understanding of the role of the media, and especially the SABC’s public service mandate. The SABC’s editorial policy means nothing because it is not adhered to. The media is there to hold people in power accountable and the public has the right to know, but the SABC cannot fulfil this role.” Some of the editorial interference experienced by SABC staff is not even political, and senior managers have been known to instruct producers to act unethically to promote a particular business or person. While there is clearly a considerable amount of direct editorial interference at the SABC, there is also fear from staff about possible backlashes, such as a loss of jobs, which encourages them to practice self-censorship. 33 South Africa. Broadcasting, Act 4 of 1999. AFRICAN MEDIA BAROMETER SOUTH AFRICA 2013 53