By Ed Herbst*



In 1997 ANC spokesperson Joel Netshitenzhe, writing in the ANC publication Umrabulo defined transformation as “extending the power of the National Liberation Movement over all levers of power: the army, the police, the bureaucracy, intelligence structures, the judiciary, parastatal, and agencies such as regulatory bodies, the public broadcaster, the central bank and so on.”



When the ANC took control of the SABC in 1994 it was R185m in the black and two deployed cadres, CEO Zwelakhe Sisulu and Communications Minister Dr Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri subsequently praised the dignified and constructive way in which the apartheid-era SABC executives had assisted them in taking control.

20 July 2007 – President Thabo Mbeki launches SABC News International at Monte Casino in Johannesburg.



The channel aimed at providing an African perspective on domestic and international stories and would be, the head of news Snuki Zikalala boasted, “the African Al Jazeera”.



Global channel no-one can see



In his hubris Zikalala set up 12 international offices at an estimated cost of R20m each. The set up costs included a new R45m studio and an estimated annual operating budget of between R60m and R100m.