The African National Congress is taken aback by the article on The Times newspaper, by Mr. Justice Malala, dated 19 July 2010, titled - SABC is not a political tool.

In this article, Malala makes insulting insinuations that the ANC has instructed the SABC to 'ban', the former ANC president and ANC leader, Comrade Thabo Mbeki. The ANC would like to put it on record that none of its leaders and none of its members "instructed" anyone in the SABC not to interview Cde Thabo Mbeki.

We think an apology to the ANC from Mr Malala will be in order. Upon hearing of such rumours, the ANC enquired from the SABC about the "ban" of former president, Thabo Mbeki. The SABC categorically denied that anyone in their employ was ever given such an instruction by the ANC and it also denied that such a discussion to "ban" Mbeki ever took place within the public broadcaster.

They repeated this line many times through their spokesperson, Mr Kaizer Kganyago. When he penned his article and persisted with rumour mongering, Malala ignored the SABC spokesperson's rebuttals and he also deliberately turned a blind eye to not less than three occasions the SABC news flighted Cde Thabo Mbeki's either on an interview, filed footage and including his message to former President Nelson Mandela on the occasion of his 92nd birthday celebrations. Only him and him alone knows why he ignored these facts.

The ANC will never attempt to influence the editorial decisions of the public broadcaster and never have such an intention. We hold a view that every citizen, rich or poor, black or white, male or female, should have a right to access the public broadcaster, including Comrade Thabo Mbeki.

The ANC will never stoop low to undermine the very democratic values that many of our members and our leaders died fighting for, including the independence of the media and the public broadcaster.

In this context, we will not hesitate to join any march organised by Justice Malala or any other citizen of this country, to ensure the independence of the media and the none-biasness of the public broadcaster. We will stop at nothing to protect such a right and freedom as enshrined in our constitution.

If Malala had the decency to approach the ANC on this matter, he would find that we totally agree with him with regard to the freedom of the press and none political meddling with the public broadcaster. Mr Malala would have found a keen ally in the ANC on this particular matter, instead of demonising and vilifying the ANC.