MK Party doesn't suffer rights violation from SABC's use of GNU, court hears

CAPE TOWN - The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) says it’s in no way taking a subjective view in referring to the seventh administration as a Government of National Unity (GNU).

It’s been defending itself against an urgent High Court application from the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party to stop using the term.

The MK Party has argued the public broadcaster is feeding its audience propaganda - because government does not meet the definition of a GNU.

Advocate Terry Motau has told the court the MK Party is not suffering an infringement of its rights when the SABC refers to the administration as a GNU.

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He said the government itself referred to itself as such - and the public broadcaster had in no way aligned itself with a particular view on how to refer to it.

Motau said it can’t be disputed there’s controversy surrounding the term - which is also politically contested.

But he said it’s neither here, nor there if politicians differed in their views on the matter because the SABC has been reporting objectively about the debate.

He added the broadcaster has offered its audience a variety of opinions and views from across the political spectrum on the use of this reference.

In reply, MK Party lawyer Dali Mpofu said it was "criminal" for President Cyril Ramaphosa to subject the country to this inaccuracy.

Judgment in the matter has been reserved.