The Freedom of Expression Institute is dismayed that the South African Broadcasting Corporation has chosen not to participate in a stocktaking conference being organised on the SABC on 4-5 November. The conference is to focus on progress made by the Corporation in delivering on its public mandate since 1994. The conference is designed to focus on and identify a set of fundamental principles that should inform the restructuring process, including a programme of action to protect and promote public broadcasting; presently the Corporation is being restructured to bring it into line with the requirements of the Broadcasting Act of 1999. According to a letter sent by Ms. Cecilia Khuzwayo `..we as a Corporation are unfortunately not in a position to take part in your conference, both as speakers and as attendees'. Reasons for this position are not given in the letter. Invitations to speak were issued to the Chairperson of the Board, the Acting Group Chief Executive and several members of SABC management.

Since the 4th of July, the FXI has tried repeatedly to engage the Board and management in discussions on jointly shaping this activity by securing a formal meeting. After attempting and failing for over two months, the FXI decided to proceed with the organisation of the conference on the basis that the Corporation is a public institution that needs to be shaped through public input. One of the Corporation's objectives in terms of the Broadcasting Act is `...to be responsive to audience needs and account on how to meet those needs'; it simply defies logic as to how this objective is to be realised if the Corporation runs away from the very audiences it is mandated to account to. Engagement with civil society groups on a public platform should not be treated as a threat, but as an opportunity.

This is especially so in the current period in view of the restructuring process. It is extremely important that this conference goes ahead now as restructuring is beginning to take place, as it will not be possible to chart a meaningful course for the SABC during restructuring if there has not been a sober assessment of the achievements and failings of the Corporation thus far. Given that restructuring is supposed to be completed by the end of this financial year (March 2001), there is no more opportune time for a stocktaking exercise than now. We would have thought that the SABC would welcome civil society groups being proactive in shaping the debate around restructuring and in fact would engage with this process; instead the Corporation now risks tail-ending this debate.

The SABC's stance can be contrasted with the stance of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, which was also invited to speak. In a letter dated 27 October 2000, the Council noted that while ICASA is not in position to speak as doing so may pre-empt their own statutory requirements around restructuring, it supports the aims of the conference and will encourage staff to attend. If SABC management felt similarly that their engaging in public debate may compromise restructuring - which is arguable - they could have adopted a similar approach. Instead they have adopted what essentially amounts to a boycott position.

The conference has attracted a remarkable level of interest, with over two hundred participants confirming their attendance. In addition, fifteen speakers have confirmed their participation, including Nadia Bulbulia from the Children and Broadcasting Foundation, the Media Monitoring Project, the South African Municipal Workers' Union, the National Community Radio Forum, the Media Institute of Southern Africa, the International Federation of Journalists, independent production groups and various trade unions active at the SABC, and Dr. Neville Alexander from the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in SA.

Contact: Salim Vally, Chairperson, FXI. Tel: 082-802 5936. Kate Skinner, Deputy Chairperson. Tel: 082-926 6404. Jane Duncan, tel (011) 4039-8403