This is after an official ruling by the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) that stated it had fined e.tv and
eNCA R10k for airing an episode of Cliff’s show, So What Now? on July 22. The
fine is to be paid by November 15 to the Registrar of the Broadcasting
Complaints Commission of SA (BCCSA).
In the episode, Gareth interviewed conspiracy theorist
David Icke, who claimed Covid-19 didn't exist. The conspiracy theorist claimed
that the “concerns” about Covid-19 were a scam, and he described it as a hoax.
While neither of them quoted any scientific or medical
evidence about why they believed Covid-19 didn't exist, Gareth and David
continued to make several untrue claims about the virus, the commission said.
Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) complained to the BCCSA and
said the broadcast was unlawful, harmful, and in breach of SA's broadcasting
code.
In their documents, the MMA stated, “In the current
context, as SA and the world grapple with the devastating effects of the
Covid-19 pandemic, broadcasts of this nature that patently seek to spread
disinformation should be carefully scrutinised, as they do not serve the public
interest or further any meaningful engagement on the subject.”
MMA said eNCA as a news broadcaster has a responsibility to
ensure the credibility and truthfulness of the content it broadcasts.
It also stated that eNCA airing Gareth's show featuring
David was “intentionally disseminated disinformation based on facts that were
untrue” and it “promoted unlawful conduct that was in violation of the
regulations issued under the Disaster Management Act”. Sowetan
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