CBC, eNCA, Reuters get social media drubbing for ‘insulting’ Winnie

eNCA’s deleted video that was aired a few moments after the news of the late anti-apartheid stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s death was announced elicited a social media backlash.

Many users viciously tweeted back and pointed out that the 59-second clip, without a sound overlay when deleted, was in bad taste, a distortion, unbalanced, sensationalist and an insult to the family of the first black female social worker in the country.

In the video clip, Madikizela-Mandela was referred to as a “kidnapper”, “lawbreaker” and a “betrayer” in reference to the the Stompie Seipei trial and Madikizela’s testimony during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

A number of those who found the video distasteful wondered why the news network had not balanced their clip with the other side of the historical narrative on Winnie Madikizela-Mandela – that she endured hardships, physical and psychological torture as well as constant harassment from the apartheid security police that could have had severe psychological impact on her own actions at the time.

EFF leader Julius Malema, generally a rabble-rouser when it comes to social media storms, tweeted: “I warned all of you about this rubbish called @eNCA.” In response, Master Pontsho posted the same video the network had earlier deleted.

https://twitter.com/MasterPontsho/status/980898220900569094

https://twitter.com/SAfrognews/status/980909445541703680

https://twitter.com/azminahj/status/980814156482871296

https://twitter.com/SisPelz/status/981051894398443520

Hot on eNCA’s heels was Reuters with the article below:

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Hailed as mother of the 'new' South Africa, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela's legacy as an anti-apartheid heroine was undone when she was revealed to be a ruthless ideologue prepared to sacrifice laws and lives in pursuit of revolution… https://t.co/bRNv5fcjIR

— kristoferkawas (@kristoferkawas) April 2, 2018

The same rebuke eNCA received was dished out

You are suffering from a severe superiority complex. You are not even ashamed, you just can’t help that you are still hanging on to apartheid. You can’t stand that she played a massive role in demolishing it. Fearlessly so! Lala ngoxolo mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

— SMngxunyeni✊🏾 (@MngxunyeniS) April 2, 2018

Not be outdone was Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

and this is what @CBC wrote of her. Africa must learn to tell her story. The west can't claim to tell our true story. Winnie Mandela was not prim and proper and Africa doesn't need that for its liberation.https://t.co/fQEtoTPWAp

— Croissant Raider INM #TuJadili (@TuJadili) April 2, 2018

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