Review: Vivien Horler
The SABC8, by Foeta Krige (Penguin Books)
I’ve never met Foeta Krige, but I’ve worked with people like him, and I have an idea about the way he operated.
He was an old-school reporter and editor. You covered the news without fear or favour, assembled the facts, spoke to analysts and gave your subject the right of reply.
I cannot imagine what it’s like to be called to a meeting – as Krige was in 2014 – and told it had been decided the SABC would give no further coverage to the EFF. When Krige protested to Jimi Matthews, head of TV news, that this sort of order was reminiscent of the years of apartheid censorship, Matthews exploded: “Don’t you talk to me about apartheid. You people, what did you do to change things?” Continue reading