Media verklaring - 07 April 2025
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SABC e die verskraling van Afrikaans
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Afrikaans en die SABC Waarom telkens die Afrikaanse aanbod verskraal?
In Februarie 2024 het die SABC met ‘n “nuwe strategie” vir Afrikaans na vore gekom met die onverklaarbare en ondeurdagte besluit om Afrikaans te skuif vanaf SABC2 na SABC3. Die skuif na ‘n veel kleiner kanaal was waarskynlik polities gemotiveerd.
In Julie 2014 het die SABC met soortgelyke stappe gekom maar moes na druk van die Afrikaanse burgerlike gemeenskap die besluite herroep.
Pas het die SABC weer op kort kennisgewing en sonder enige konsultasie besluit om Afrikaanse TV nuusbulletins oor naweke op te skort. Weer eens ‘n stompsinnige besluit met geen respek vir die Afrikaanse taalgemeenskap nie. Dit is jammer dat die SABC nie hieroor kommunikeer of redes vir sy besluit gee nie. Ons weet ook nie of dit slegs tydelik is en of dit ‘n langer-termyn besluit is nie.
Indien dit wel langer-termyn is bring die SABC se besluit net nog groter afstand tussen die lojale Afrikaanse kykers en die openbare uitsaaier. Dit is jammer want die SABC het na ons mening die besondere rol om deur sy mandaat diversiteit te bevorder. Die Afrikaanse taalgemeenskap word ongelukkig telkens uitgesonder met die verskraling van die taalaanbod.
Ons kan net wonder wat het van die SABC se eie redaksionele beleid geword wat by onderstaande skakel beskikbaar is en waarin die SABC breedsprakig (En in slegs Engels) verklaar: “Dat die SABC sy grondwetlike plig omarm om alle amptelike tale gelyk en met gelyke respek te behandel
EN die SABC is bewus van sy rol in die fasilitering van die vervulling van taalregte van individue en gemeenskappe.”
Lees die redaksionele beleid en veral hoofstuk 6 wat fokus op taalbeleid by die skakel http://web.sabc.co.za/digital/stage/editorialpolicies/EditorialPolicyBook_9July2020FINAL-_For_Circulation.pdf
Veral van belang lig ons die volgende uit in die SABC se eie taalbeleid (Vryvertaal na Afrikaans) :
6.2.9 Die verpligting om die taalkundige en kulturele diversiteit, en meertalige aard van Suid-Afrika te weerspieël terwyl nasionale eenheid bevorder word;
6.2.11 Die belangrikheid van taal in kommunikasie as die draer van waardes, houdings, kultuur en uitdrukking.
6.13.3.3 Verseker dat die skedulering van inhoud sensitief is vir die gehoor se reg om toegang te hê tot 'n reeks inhoudsaanbiedinge in hul huis- en voorkeurtale.
Dit sou dus interessant wees om te verneem of die SABC se bestuurshoofde hulle enigsins onderwerp het aan hulle eie redaksionele beleid, wat insluit ʼn taalbeleid, in die kortsigtige besluit om Afrikaanse TV nuus oor naweke in te kort of heeltemal uit die program skedule te haal. Ons sou graag met die SABC in gesprek wou tree om die feite te kry sowel as die gronde vir die besluit.
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Afrikaans and the SABC: Why is Afrikaans content constantly being marginalised ?
In February 2024, the SABC came up with a “new strategy” for Afrikaans with the inexplicable and ill-considered decision to move Afrikaans from SABC2 to SABC3. The move to a much smaller channel was likely politically motivated.
In July 2014, the SABC took similar steps but had to revoke its decisions after pressure from the Afrikaans language community.
Once again, the SABC has just decided, at short notice and without any consultation, to suspend Afrikaans TV news bulletins on weekends. Another foolish decision with no respect for Afrikaans-speaking citizens. It is unfortunate that the SABC has not communicated about this or given any reasons for its decision. Neither do we know if it is only temporary or whether it is a longer-term decision.
If it were indeed aimed at the longer term, the SABC's decision would only cause an even greater rift between the public broadcaster and its loyal Afrikaans viewers. This is unfortunate, because, in our opinion, the SABC has the special role of promoting diversity through its mandate. The Afrikaans language community is, regretfully, being singled out repeatedly when it comes to curtailing language offerings.
What, we may ask, has become of the SABC's own editorial policy, available at the link below, in which the SABC states in detail (in English only): “The SABC embraces its constitutional duty to treat all official languages equitably, and with equal respect” AND “The SABC is conscious of its role in facilitating the fulfilment of language rights of individuals and communities.”
Read the editorial policy, and especially chapter 6 — which focuses on language policy — at the link
In particular, we highlight the following in the SABC's own language policy:
6.2.9 The obligation to reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity, and multilingual nature of South Africa while promoting national unity.
6.2.11 The importance of language in communication as the carrier of values, attitudes, culture and expression.
6.13.3.3 Ensure that content in specific languages are broadcast at times to suit most of the members of the target audience in that language community.
It would be interesting to learn whether the SABC's executives have at all adhered to their own editorial policy, which includes a language policy, in the short-sighted decision to curtail Afrikaans TV news on weekends or remove it completely from the programme schedule. We would like to engage in discussions with the SABC to obtain the facts as well as the grounds for their decision.
Date: 7 April 2025
