The star Online
November 17, 2006 Edition 1
Bonile Ngqiyaza
There was a tense, short stand-off between demonstrators and the police after marchers invaded the SABC's parking space at Radio Park.
Pepper was sprayed into the eyes of two protesters who tried to gatecrash Radio Park reception in Henley Road, Auckland Park, yesterday.
Members of about 100 social movements had descended on the SABC to express their anger and frustrations at the broadcaster's neglect of poor communities.
An already ill-tempered crowd was incensed further when neither SABC group chief executive Dali Mpofu nor news chief Snuki Zikalala showed up.
Chief financial officer Rob Nicholson finally accepted a memorandum on behalf of Mpofu and Zikalala.
Freedom of Expression Institute executive director Jane Duncan told the crowd that the SABC was becoming less and less free.
"Comrades, we are here because we want one thing and one thing only: an independent broadcaster.
"We don't want a public broadcaster that censors the struggles of the poor for free water and free electricity."
Makoma Lekalakala, from Jubilee SA, said the working class and poor communities should be provided with "a real space" for taking part in and reviewing programmes.
The SABC should also work with social movements to establish forums for regular consultation, and rural and working-class women should have a strong voice on television programmes, said Lekalakala.