The South African Broadcasting Corporation belongs to all of us — the people of South Africa — not to any political party or government. That’s the clear message from the Activists and Citizens Forum after worrying reports surfaced this weekend.
In a strongly worded statement issued today (22 March 2026), the group says it is “extremely disturbed” by claims in a Sunday newspaper that the ANC and the Presidency have been pressuring the SABC to axe its popular talk show Face the Nation. The alleged reason? The host, Clement Manyathela, is apparently “too harsh and negative.”
This isn’t the first time the public broadcaster has been accused of silencing critical voices, the forum points out. They’re drawing a direct line to the dark days of apartheid, when the SABC was weaponised to spread lies and shut down anyone who dared speak truth to power.
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“We fought the National Party’s apartheid government then, and we will fight this one too if we have to,” the statement warns. “We will never allow the SABC to become a propaganda machine for any party or government.”
The group is now calling on Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Communications Minister Solly Malatsi to launch an immediate investigation into the allegations. If nothing is done, they say mass action against the SABC is on the table.