Viewers have been approaching the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) angered by the SABC’s decision to air an interview with the mother of convicted child rapist, Nicholas Ninow.
The Public Broadcaster says it is dealing with the matter and will respond to complaints lodged against it via the BCCSA.
Outrage over the interview has been widespread and has brought questions to the fore about editorial decisions on whether some stories should be told or not.
Journalist and media communications specialist lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology Tshamano Makhadi says the story was worth telling.
“South Africa is one of a country battling with issues of drugs. When a mother feed her own child with drugs at the age of 13, that’s a problem. There’s probably another mother sitting at home watching the same interview and they get the opportunity to see the consequences of their actions. As we heard from the testimony that Nicholas Ninow himself gave, saying it was his mother doing drugs. He joined (in) and the two of them were the best of friends. And they could not see anything wrong about it. But of course, there were always going to be consequences.”
