The SABC says its own internal investigation has found no evidence to substantiate a news article that claims the broadcaster paid Chief Mandla Mandela three million Rand for the rights to former president Mandela’s funeral.

A joint statement by the SABC and Chief Mandela says:

The SABC exhausted all possible avenues where such a contract could be placed, and it was found that no such contract exists.

According to a Sunday World newspaper article written over two years ago, the SABC paid Mandela’s grandson for the exclusive broadcasting rights for the funeral.

Spokesman for the SABC, Kaizer Kganyago, said the broadcaster had cleared up the issue back in 2009, but that there were still some in the media who continued to refer to the allegations as fact.

The statement continues by saying:

As a result, a perception persisted which resulted in the image of Chief Mandela being compromised.

The SABC and Chief Mandela felt it necessary to revisit this matter and to communicate to the public together to lay this matter to rest once and for all.

Chief Mandela told the media that it should “consider the consequences of spreading false information”.

Today, I still hear people talking about this and using these lies to determine the kind of person I am. I am glad that we can today lay this matter to rest.

I don’t know. Considering the SABC’s track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if the figure was thirty million and a lifetime seat on the SABC board.

[Source: News24]