Posted by By Umoru Henry on
THE South African Government plans to establish in Nigeria a Bureau office of its South Africa Broadcasting Corporation as part of its plans to expand its network outside the South African shore and to receive the news about Nigeria in its fresh and undiluted content.
ABUJA - THE South African Government plans to establish in Nigeria a Bureau office of its South Africa Broadcasting Corporation as part of its plans to expand its network outside the South African shore and to receive the news about Nigeria in its fresh and undiluted content.
Leading an eight-man delegation to the Minister of Information and National Orientation in Abuja, yesterday, Chairman, board of the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Eddy Funde, who noted that the idea of citing a bureau in Nigeria was first muted in 2004 at the end of Africast 2004, said the corporation which has a staff strength of 3,500 and 50 dedicated stations, provides a comprehensive range of programmes to over 29 million listeners in eleven official languages.
According to him, the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation, which operates under the broadcasting Act as a state-owned entity, enlightens, entertains, educates the people as well as promotes the cultural heritage of its listeners.
Mr. Eddy Funde disclosed that at the end of the management meeting of the organisation, a consensus was reached that Bureaus be established in West Africa, Central Africa and Europe, adding that in view of the long-standing relationship existing between the South African government and that of Nigeria, it was resolved that a bureau be established in Nigeria while the other one to be broadcast in French would be in Senegal, adding that the broadcast will commence in November with a 24-hour news coverage.
Responding, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Frank Iweke Jr., who expressed his dismay at the negative and absurd manner in which the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation has been reporting events in Nigeria as the organisation reports Nigeria from the eyes of the Western press, urged the management team to be mindful of what they will be reporting when the station comes on board.