South African Communist Party protests at eNCA

eNCA reporter, Phakamile Hlubi, particpated in the protest

One really has to consider the state of South African broadcast media when there has been a protest at every single domestic news channel in the past 10 days. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

One of the major issues that were protested today were the IPSOS polling eNCA has been carrying out, and broadcasting, over this last month. The organisation and those who marched along with them want eNCA to immediately pull the polling as they feel it is deceiving.

The major so called deception? The claim by the polls that the ruling African National Congress will lose the Tshwane metro in the upcoming local elections. The party has also given ETV 48 hours to explain why they, the party, should not take etv to the electoral court. They further accused the channel of having a political agender behind the polling.

Electoral polling is considered a highly controversial issue where ever such polls are conducted. In the United States, where polls determine who gets to participate in presidential debates, the polls have been accused of influencing who gets elected considering those who do not meet the made up criteria to enter the debate stage do not get the free and highly valuable publicity that comes along with being on the debate stage.

For example, to be on a presidential debate stage, candidates have to average 15% in polls. The current major third party candidate from the Libertarian Party only has 9% and will not get the exposure of an audience exceeding 60 million.

In India, the same company that carries out the polls for ANN7 was accused of faking the results of the polls in order to influence public perception.

The other major point of contention at the protest was the freedom (or allegedly the lack thereof) of etv staff to join trade unions. Protestors held up placards stating that 'Workers are not free at e,' a play on words with the red letter channel's slogan.

Furthermore, the protest aimed to stop gender discrimination at the channel, due to female staff being prohibited from wearing head scarves on air. In addition, the protestors wanted to address the lack of transformation at the channel, due to allegations that senior positions are always just filled by white individuals.

The protestors delivered a memorandum to management, who actually took time tolisten to them (unlike at ANN7 where the management just looked at them, or at the SABC where Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng did not come out to see them at all).

eNCA's editor-in-chief, Anton Harber, signed the memorandum and stated that they will read it and consider it carefully.