You have no idea how crazy a day Monday has been. I’m completely wired and unable to sleep but, good god, that is more than okay.
Anyway, if any of you are following the story of Michael Lee and his protest actions against the SABC, I have some more news about it. Earlier today, Michael sent me the release I’ve included below. I thought it made an interesting read, especially since it mentions that others are joining his cause.
He also mentions that he is on 22 days (23 now I guess since it’s after midnight), 11 days behind those people that are currently on a hunger strike in Iran. Guess that means he can still continue for a while. Also, considering he’s lost 11kgs, this might not be a bad way to shed the winter weight. (I kid, relax).
Have you noticed that I have a soft spot for the underdog yet?
Producer/director Michael Lee has entered the fourth week of his hunger protest in support of local content, continuing to demand that the SABC revoke its proposal to cut local content by half a billion rand next year, and instead work in collaboration with stakeholders to find a way out of its crisis.
Lee says his conviction about the SABC was solidified during production of his documentary film State of Emergency? during July. “The film is about South African film and society over the last 30 years, and how film reflects the nation’s efforts to go beyond struggle and establish a new identity.”
“One of the things I’ve learned along the way is that the SABC’s problems go right back to the beginning. The SABC is an inhumane institution, and almost always has been. Their actions, as well as the public statements of Kaizer Kganyago and others, shows very clearly that all this noise they’ve been making about telling African stories, Vuka Sizwe, and so on, is a bunch of empty rhetoric. In reality, they don’t care about the audience, they don’t care about the public or the country, and they certainly don’t care about the people who provide the content that is supposed to build the nation’s voice.”
Lee adds: “Kganyago’s statement in the paper last Friday after our protest is a perfect case in point, where he says that we are trying to dictate to them. That’s exactly their attitude – they see all efforts at dialogue as dictating, which is what has brought us to this place. The SABC behaves like they are superior to everyone else, willing at best to receive input, then process it like in a black box and come up with their response, take it or leave it. They run themselves like a mini Enron up on the hill – except on public money. They think they know best and yet clearly the evidence shows they don’t! It’s cruel, arrogant, and foolish – and yet these overpaid fools are trashing people’s livelihoods and identities.”
“All we are asking,” Lee adds, “is that they work together with us – the creative industry – their providers – and the public, their audience – to get out of this crisis in a way that works for everyone and does not destroy what all of us, including the SABC, have worked so hard to build. To keep South African television growing, alive, and vibrant. Yet still, they refuse to engage in any real partnership.”
“Hunger protests have always been used as a non-violent way to bring attention to injustice. In the 1900s they began to focus against tyrannical, insensitive governments. More than anything, if people get one message from my action, it is that this unilateral, dictatorial approach from a supposedly public broadcaster is unacceptable, long-standing, and must be stopped.”
Meanwhile, several others are joining the hunger protest today, including:
- Gwen Britz a top recruitment consultant in the media industry, who states that for every one person unemployed, 12 people are directly affected. For example if 150 people lose their jobs from just one local production, 1800 people are directly affected. “It is inhumane,” Britz echoes Lee, “that the public broadcaster is willing to impact so negatively on so many lives and the economy.”
- Thabiso Mafane, aspiring young TV writer and researcher, who worked with Lee at Mahala Media. “Like everyone else,” Mafane states, “I’m gatvol of the repeats on SABC, the state the industry is in because of them, and I intend to show them we are really serious that they should pick their socks up.”
- Ingi Brough, former drummer of renowned first South African all-girl band Clout, and currently a marketing, media, and advertising consultant, who says: “I was totally disgusted when I saw someone else has put together the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, outside of Africa. That should be us. If we’re not careful, everyone else will be telling our stories, like it was in the past.”
All four of the protestors continue to invite others, industry and audience alike, to join and bring further pressure on the broadcaster to begin to behave themselves like the public servants they actually are.
Lee, who has lost 11 kg, adds: “Gandhi held 17 hunger protests during his life, and none were longer than 21 days. I’m on 22 days. So I guess I’m holding out pretty well. But I am beginning to get hungry finally. For the first time since the first couple days, I don’t really feel so lekker. But I’m still going.”
For more information please contact SASFED spokesperson Marc Schwinges at (083) 901 2000 or info@sasfed.org
Since we aren’t a completely biased mouth piece here though, I should mention what the SABC is saying about all this. Unfortunately, I haven’t got a direct line to their offices to get the prepared answers straight out of the horses mouths, but, there was this in an article written by Issa Sikiti da Silva on Bizcommunity.com:
Kaizer Kganyago told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Sunday, 30 August 2009, that he was frustrated by production houses’ claims that the SABC had axed local programming – something he said is gravely untruthful.
“We have not axed any local content, but we have deferred some programmes for another time to balance our cash-flow problems, which everyone is aware of,” Kganyago said.
“We are in the process of paying all their debts but they told us to procure new work with them, which we refused because we don’t want to accumulate more debts.”
Last week, scores of local content suppliers gathered outside the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, to protest against the decision to ‘axe’ or ‘kill’ local content, a move they claim will cost them R500 million in commissions and force thousands from work. Independent producer Michael Lee’s fasting in support of local content entered its 22nd day yesterday.
However, Kganyago is appalled by the use of words ‘axing’ or ‘killing’, which some insiders believe makes the SABC look irresponsible in the eyes of the nation.
“It is not true. They want to push us to do want they want. Local content is regulated and we cannot go below its quota. But we are avoiding a situation whereby we cannot afford to pay them immediately after they have completed the work, as we are going through a dire financial situation,” Kganyago said.
Ah, what a tangled web we weave. I’ll keep you guys updated on the story as much as I can. Yes, legitimate news that I’m actually keeping tabs on. It’s a miracle.
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Interesting…. well Michael ends his fast today 9/9/9 – awesome date I just noticed. He rocks!