SABC failing the coloured market?

Non-racial organisation SAME, which lobbies for equality in the media and technology landscape, has met with representatives from the SABC to express its concerns.r /r /Charles Ash, executive member of SAME, says the SABC is partly to blame for the social ills coloured people in South Africa face. “Based on the (South African) constitution, coloured people fall under BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) legislation and the SABC has a very clear mandate, which states that it should have specific programmes for specific groups of people. We are not asking for special treatment, we just want to be treated equally.”r /r /According to Ash, both Gab Mampone, acting group CEO, and Charlotte Mampane, acting chief operating officer, have conceded that this issue deserves their attention.r /r /”We would like the SABC to establish a national radio station and dedicate two hours a week on its television channels to cater for the needs of coloured people.”r /r /SAME has also requested the public broadcaster to issue an apology to coloured people for not meeting its mandate in respect of the coloured community.r /r /A steering committee is in the process of being formed, which will consist of members from both parties who are expected to work together to resolve the issue.r /r /SABC spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyago, has confirmed that the two parties are in negotiations, “but I am not willing to divulge the details”, he said.