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Dear friends and fellow South Africans,

South Africa boasts some extremely talented directors, actors and film
makers. But I think, perhaps, we don't boast about them enough. For beyond
"Tsotsi", which won an Academy Award, how many South African films can we
name offhand?

I am enthusiastic about the imminent release of "Otelo Burning" which has
already won critical acclaim at international film festivals. According to
its official website, "the film tells the story of a group of township kids
who discover the joy of surfing. It's set in 1989, against a backdrop of
brewing conflict between two political groups in Lamontville."

I am impressed that the film is in isiZulu, with English subtitles. I am
also impressed by profiles of the award-winning and vastly experienced crew.
But I must admit to some trepidation, for the period of history this film
recounts is painful, complex and steeped in propaganda. Incidentally, the
protagonist is named Otelo Buthelezi.

This is the second feature film to deal with the black-on-black violence
that raged in the eighties and early nineties in South Africa. The first,
"The Bang Bang Club" was released last year and told "the real life story of
a group of four young combat photographers". The film was disturbing and
many of its scenes are harrowing, both visually and emotionally.

I went to see "The Bang Bang Club" at the V&A Waterfront. It opened with the
following words written across the screen, giving the context for the film -

"Between 1990 and 1994, the ruling apartheid government waged a secret war
against Nelson Mandela's ANC party and its supporters. In this covert war
the government found a powerful ally in Inkatha's movement and its thousands
of Zulu warriors."

My heart sank. I knew that "The Bang Bang Club" would be a difficult film to
watch, for the wounds of the black-on-black violence are still so fresh in
my mind and there is still so much to be done towards reconciliation between
the ANC and the IFP. But to have the conflict misrepresented so glaringly
within the opening seconds of the film was deeply worrying.

The violence portrayed in the film was between ANC supporters and Inkatha
supporters. The implication of the opening lines is that the violence
committed by Inkatha supporters was part of a covert war waged on behalf of
the apartheid Government, and that, consequently, any violence perpetrated
by ANC supporters was defensive under attack. This is far from the truth.

Not only does the film ignore the fact that the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission found that "little evidence exists of a centrally directed,
coherent or formally constituted 'Third Force'", it also fails to
acknowledge the ANC's People's War which was waged against all other
components of the liberation movement, and which is historically documented
in academic works like Dr Anthea Jeffrey's seminal tome aptly titled
"People's War".

The film also fails to convey the fact that much of the violence in that
period could have been avoided if Mr Nelson Mandela had honoured our
commitment to pursue reconciliation upon his release.

Although he was released in February 1990, it was not until 29 January 1991
that those around Mr Mandela allowed him to meet me. When Amakhosi in the
Eastern Cape asked why he had not yet met with me, when it was known that we
were friends, he replied that the leaders of the ANC/UDF had "almost
throttled" him.

At our first meeting, Mr Mandela and I agreed to hold joint rallies
throughout the country to pacify our people who had been at war with one
another for so long. The first rally was scheduled for Taylor's Halt. But
neither this nor any subsequent rally ever took place. After Mr Mandela
agreed to go to Taylor's Halt, the ANC leadership in Natal, led by Mr Harry
Gwala, arrived at Shell House (now Inkosi Luthuli House) to forbid him from
attending.

The Cold War conflicts and the armed struggle had entrenched leadership
positions within the ANC which relied on ongoing conflicts and persistent
rebellion and insurrection. There were those within the ANC who resisted
reconciliation vehemently. Even now, decades later, there are those who
resist it.

When I saw "The Bang Bang Club" last year, I worried about what it would do
for reconciliation between people who still remember the violence and those
who still miss loved ones who were taken from them. It's not that we
shouldn't remember the past for fear that it is too painful. The subject of
black-on-black violence is not taboo. But it does demand truth. There is no
space for artistic liberties or creative rewrites of real events. If we are
going to remember this past, we must do so with integrity, honesty and
laudable motive.

Most of the people who paid to watch "The Bang Bang Club" at the movies last
year no doubt had a special interest in politics or history. Hopefully they
were interested enough to have challenged the portrayal with facts.

But when SABC 3 chose to broadcast "The Bang Bang Club" this past Saturday
night, I knew that many of those watching would receive it as gospel truth,
as an accurate reflection of that terrible time in history. How does one
undo that kind of damage?

I believe SABC was wrong to broadcast this film.

When "The Bang Bang Club" was released on circuit, it was rated 16 for
Language and Violence by the Film and Publications Board. Yet when SABC 3
aired it on Saturday night, that rating had been increased to 18, for
Language, Violence, Nudity, Sex and Prejudice. Moreover, the age rating and
warning signals remained in place far longer than the required 60 seconds at
the start and 30 seconds after each advertising break. According to the
SABC's Editorial Polices, that indicates that the film contains "extremely
controversial material".

So clearly the SABC was fully aware of the prejudice and controversy in "The
Bang Bang Club".

According to the SABC's Editorial Policies, among its core values are nation
building and a commitment not to convey prejudiced notions of South Africa's
races or cultures. As SABC puts it, "Given South Africa's past, and the role
of public broadcasting in healing divisions, it is imperative for the SABC.
to avoid language and images that reinforce stereotypes, and offend
communities or individuals."

The SABC's policy on violence is as follows, "To ensure that any broadcast
of material containing scenes of violence, or violent behaviour, is
justifiable in the context of the SABC's functions and purpose."

Broadcasting lies about our past is unlikely to further nation building or
heal divisions, and is highly likely to offend communities and individuals.

Let me end where I started, by saying that South Africa boasts some very
talented directors, actors and film makers. I hope that at some point
someone among them will look at our past, scratch the surface of the
propaganda and ask, "What really happened?"

Yours in the service of our nation,

Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi MP