Pressure is mounting on eNCA with accusations of censorship after the broadcaster failed to publish an interview by businessman Dr Iqbal Survé on the Power to Truth Show hosted by presenter JJ Tabane.
The interview was recorded and aired on Monday last week, however it was not made available on the channel's website like all the previous episodes.
Episodes that aired after the interview with Dr Survé were uploaded to the website, fuelling speculation that that station was acting on political instruction to censor the interview.
Twitter users noticed the move by eNCA and questioned why the interview was not uploaded.
Twitter user @LandNoli asked eNCA to upload the episode: “@eNCA please post the Dr Iqbal Surve full video like you have done with the others...”, while @Ya_Azania2 said: “@eNCA do the right thing”.
@eNCA please post the Dr Iqbal Surve full video held on 28 Nov 2022, as you have done for others.
— Izwe Lethu (@LandNoli) December 1, 2022
You posted full videos up to 23 Nov (Vusi Mahlasela).
You skipped the 28 Nov video (Dr Iqbal Surve).
And posted the 30 Nov video (Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma). https://t.co/VPeCCIJpqF pic.twitter.com/D7qeGtIqAp
Survé himself also questioned why his interview was not uploaded.
“It is now almost a week after my interview with JJ Tabane on eNCA. The response to the interview has been tremendous. Now eNCA bosses are refusing to upload the interview on YouTube.They must fear the truth and what I said in the interview. #Mediacensorship,” tweeted Survé.
It is now almost a week after my interview with JJ Tabane on Enca. The response to the interview has been tremendous. Now Enca bosses are refusing to upload the interview on YouTube.They must fear the truth and what I said in the interview. #Mediacensorship
— IQBAL SURVÉ (@IqbalSurve) December 3, 2022
Sources at the broadcaster said that the instruction to “pull the Survé interview” came from top management at the channel.
Both eNCA and their owner Johnny Copelyn were reached for comment. eNCA did not respond but Copelyn said that he found the allegations that management were preventing the interview from being uploaded was “absurd”.
“I was not aware of this matter until I received your email. Upon enquiry, I have established that the output editor took the decision in his normal decision making process. No hurt was intended and the decision was based on technical quality of the live input,” said Copelyn.
In the fiery interview, Survé was scathing on the current political leadership.
Survé expressed disappointment at Ramaphosa and the governing ANC.
“I may have supported the ANC historically. I’m not sure going forward.
“Reality is I believe in our democracy but most importantly I believe in accountability. I believe in the emancipation of our people.
“If I believe the leadership of the ANC is not capable of emancipating our people then I have to find a new political home.
“Ramaphosa has disappointed, but at the end of the day it is in the hands of the electorate of the ANC; they are the members of the ANC.
“Whoever is president I really wish they advance the case of black emancipation,” said Survé.