eNCA announes new News Night anchors, tweaks schedule

New News Night anchors, Cathy Mohlahlana and Vuyo Mvoko

eNCA yesterday announced that Cathy Mohlahlana and Vuyo Mvoko will take over anchoring duties on News Night.

The two have been screen testing together since April during Cathy's long running midmorning slot.

On the opportunity, Mvoko said, "Cathy and I hope to rise to the challenge of telling the story as it unfolds."

Both have been tweeting and replying to congratulations messages from colleagues and the public since the announcement was made. It is perhaps their social media presence that will be their greatest asset going in to prime time. Both are perceived highly favourably online, with Cathy having over 45 thousand followers and Vuyo with 47 thousand followers on Twitter.

Mvoko is a former contributing editor at SABC News and actually hosted a prime time news show at the start of 2016. This show was pulled from the air after Mvoko did an entire show centered on the State of Capture report. He left the SABC not too long after as part of the #SABC8 and started freelancing with eNCA earlier this year.

Cathy is a long time eNCA reporter and anchor, occupying the midmorning slot since 2014. During the election that year, Cathy was one of the channel's main reporters from the IEC's elections result centre. The midmorning slot has been where most news breaks in South Africa and Cathy has anchored coverage solo during many major breaking news stories including the Oscar Pistorius trial, protests, and of course, as is now the norm, countless press conferences.

Overall, this is the perfect choice by the channel with both being highly regarded by the public, highly competent at anchoring and coming across with a wonderful screen presence.

Other changes to the channel include longrunning News Night anchor, Jeremy Maggs moving to News Day (1pm, eNCA) solo, with the current news Day team, Shahan Ramkissoon and Michelle Craig moving to Cathy's old 9am to 1pm slot.

Everything else remains unchanged.

Vuyo Mvoko joins eNCA

The highly talented and experienced former SABC News contributing editor today resurfaced on broadcast news, this time for eNCA.

Mvoko was let go by the SABC last July for speaking out against the news organisation's editorial policy.

With both Jeremy Maggs and Iman Rappetti leaving eNCA's News Night soon, the channel does not have anyone experienced enough in house to fill their roles. Could Mvoko, who previously hosted a prime time news programme on SABC News Channel be filling the void left by them soon?

His current role ateNCA is 'Specialist Reporter,' the same title Karyn Maughn holds.

Various news personalities took to Twitter to congratulate him on the move. Here are some:
Former eNCA host,Eusebius McKaiser:

SABC's loss is eNCA's gain: @vuyo_mvoko is now a specialist reporter for eNCA. Good to see you on television doing what you do best Vuyo. pic.twitter.com/4ePDLNp8j1

— Eusebius McKaiser (@Eusebius) April 4, 2017

Former ANN7 anchor, Asanda Magaqa:

@vuyo_mvoko NTINGA NTAKA NDINI!!! "They tried2bury us. Little did they know we were seeds" Yenza indima yakho njengo mntu onesiphiwo bhuti💝🙏 pic.twitter.com/KiEzGeQePH

— Asanda Magaqa (@asandamagaqa) April 4, 2017

Eyewitness News Senior Reporter:

Through its epic incompetence and mismanagement, the state has lost another expert to the private sector. Bravo, @vuyo_mvoko. https://t.co/SItdJaggLV

— Barry Bateman (@barrybateman) April 4, 2017

Vuyo MMvoko's case postponed... again

Vuyo Mvoko's court case to be reinstated at the SABC has once again been postponed. Any hope of Mvoko appearing on air tomorrow as part of election coverage is now gone.

SABC ordered to reinstate 7 of the "#SABC8," Vuyo Mvoko excluded

After what has been a rather turbulent few weeks at the SABC, the broadcaster late this afternoon announced plans to reinstate 7 of the 8 journalists it dismissed for speaking out against the broadcaster's plan to no longer cover destructive protests. 

The SABC, under the reigns of COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, last week defied a court order by locking out four of the journalists after being ordered to reinstate them. At the time, the SABC planned to appeal the court order, but such plans has since been dropped.

The reinstated journalists are:

• Thandeka Gqubule (economics editor)
• Busisiwe Ntuli (Special Assignment executive producer) 
• Lukhanyo Calata (SABC parliamentary correspondent)
•  Krivani Pillay (SAfm current affairs executive producer)
• Foeta Krige (RSG executive editor)
• Jacques Steenkamp (senior investigative journalist)
• Suna Venter (senir journalist)

The most senior member of the SABC8, contributing editor, Vuyo Mvoko, has not been reinstated (well at least not yet). Mvoko authored an article that appeared in Independent Newspapers  titles in which he criticised the SABC's policies, a move his lawyer called protecting the broadcaster. The brodcaster then terminated his contract for bringing the broadcast into disrepute. 

Mvoko has since applied to the Johannesburg High Court for the enforcement of his contract. The only reason a decision on him was not made today is because he is being legally represented separately from the rest of the "SABC8."

[Personally, it is elections next week and I am really going to miss Mvoko not playing a major role in that day's broadcasts as he always does on major political news days.]

'On the Record with Vuyo Mvoko' abruptly cancelled

Late last week the SABC News Channel abruptly cancelled their daily in depth news programme, On the Record with Vuyo Mvoko, after just under three months.


The City Press is reporting that the reason for the cancellation is that Mvoko, who is also a contributing editor at the SABC, planned to discuss the state capture by the Gupta family on the show. This then led to disagreements between Mvoko and the higher ups at the SABC which has now led to the cancellation of the show.

Mvoko also planned to interview  Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas, who said he was offered the role of Fiance Minister by the Gupta family, on the show.

This move is just another that is bringing to light the SABC's apparent policy to not broadcast anything critical of the President or the ANC.

On the cancellation, Mvoko tweeted, "#OnTheRecord on #sabcnews tonight. #OTR_404 is no more. Thanks 4 support. Apologies for abrupt end." Since the tweet, many have expressed disappointment in the move, including the Public Protector, who tweeted the following in reply, "@PublicProtector Team is saddened by the news. We trust the canning of #OTR_404 is not due to improper motives."

The SABC News Channel schedule will go back to what it was before On The Record started, airing a three hour Your World from 9pm.

SABC News Channel launches 'On The Record' with Vuyo Mvoko

"And a very warm welcome to the very first episode of our new show, On the Record." Those were the first words of SABC News' Contributing Editor, Vuyo Mvoko, welcoming viewers to his new show this past Monday night, January 11th.

On The Record aims to go beyond the day's headlines to bring viewers a select few stories that viewers simply have to know, debates, as well as interviews and profiles with people viewers ought to know.

The show has a decent format: start with a few news stories with Mvoko drawing a narrative in between links as well as providing commentary, none of which seems to be scrolling on a teleprompter. Not being a traditional news bulletin, the program has the luxury to linger longer on certain news stories, creating insight viewers would otherwise not have received during a regular bulletin.

After the first segment details the main news story of the day, the second segment features the show's focus story of the day, which is something discussed in with on air guests. The premiere episode featured a simply explosive debate around the recent race issues experienced in the country. It featured author, Eusebius McKaizer (Run, Racist, Run), rights activist, Ernst Roets (Afriforum)as well as Andile Mgxithama (Black First, Land First).

Following the lengthy debate, the premiere episode aired an interview with the current ANC Youth League President.

With the launch of On The Record, Your World gets cut down to only two hours, starting now at 10pm. Both shows use the same studio though.

The show is also not Mvoko's first attempt at a show on the channel as he has previously experimented with different formats in the past.

One The Record with anchor Vuyo Mvoko airs weekdays from 9pm to 10pm on SABC News Channel (DStv 404).