Vincent Smith, chairman of Parliament’s ad hoc committee handling the inquiry into the fitness of the SABC board, has sought the advice of the police minister on protecting witnesses due to appear before the committee. Witnesses called to testify to the committee could be given the option to request witness protection and to provide evidence in camera. This follows weekend reports of incidents of intimidation and death threats targeted at the SABC 8, the journalists who were fired by the broadcaster for opposing its decision not to air footage of violent protests. They were later reinstated but are continuing with legal action over the broadcaster’s policy, which they are seeking to challenge in the Constitutional Court. The ad hoc committee met for the first time on Tuesday and resolved that the inquiry would continue despite the board now only having one nonexecutive director-chairman, Mbulaheni Maguvhe.
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