Gauteng High Court to hear legal challenge on the use of GNU

First Take SA

The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg is expected to hear a legal challenge by former President, Jacob Zuma and the Umkhonto Wesizwe party, against the use of the term 'Government of National Unity' by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). In papers before the court, they have argued that the African National Congress and the Democratic Alliance signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) and invited other political parties to join, after which, nine other organizations heeded the call. The parties add that while the ANC may embark on a so-called propaganda campaign, accuracy is not a fundamental requirement for its constituency. They say that the SABC has a greater responsibility and statutory role to play when disseminating information, and has defied calls to stop using the term GNU, despite alleged expert analysis. The SABC is likely to cite Section 16 of the Constitution in its opposition of the application. For a better understanding of the story, Elvis Presslin spoke to South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF) Acting Gauteng Regional Convener, Hopewell Radebe