Head of scandal-hit broadcaster resigns

pulse

December 19, 2016 6:45 PM

Maguvhe had been the only remaining board member since his colleagues stood down in recent months.

A rally against alleged bias and self-censorship in news coverage by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) in July 2016

The chairman of South Africas public broadcaster has resigned, officials said Monday after months of controversy over alleged news censorship and money wasting that has rocked the corporation.

The South African Broadcasting Service (SABC), the primary source of news for millions of South Africans, has been the focus of a parliamentary investigation into political influence, bias and mismanagement.

Mbulaheni Maguvhe, who endured robust questioning by lawmakers last week, stepped down after offering his resignation to President Jacob Zuma, the presidency said in a statement.

No reason was given for the resignation.

The SABC, which runs three TV stations and 20 radio stations, was rebuked by regulators over its coverage of local elections in August when it banned footage of violent demonstrations.

It also stopped its early morning shows from reading out newspaper headlines, many of which were critical of Zuma and the government.

The ruling ANC party welcomed Maguvhe's resignation, saying it was "confident that his exit will speed up the process of addressing the leadership crisis at SABC."

Several SABC journalists have been sacked or faced disciplinary hearings after criticising its editorial policy.

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