Johannesburg – MACUA – Mining Affected Communities United In Action – says the apology by SAfm regarding unsubstantiated claims against migrants was a victory for “accountability and responsible journalism”.
During the 3 June 2026 broadcast on SAfm Radio’s “The National Pulse”, March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese‑Zuma made the following five assertions:
- 60% of serious crimes in Gauteng are committed by foreign nationals.
- Foreign‑funded organisations in South Africa are using their money to buy arms.
- Bombs and explosives are entering the country.
- Foreign military bases are operating in South Africa.
- Foreign nationals escape prosecution because they pay the police.
Because there was no evidence regarding these assertions, MACUA filed a complaint with the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa (BCCSA) – the independent, self-regulatory tribunal that oversees broadcasting standards – regarding these utterances.
The BCCSA attended to the complaint and found SAfm contravened clauses requiring news to be truthful, accurate, and fair, and opinions to be clearly distinguished from fact.
The BCCSA noted the claims were highly inflammatory in a context where migrants already face intimidation, discrimination, and violence.
As a result, the BCCSA upheld MACUA’s complaint because SAfm allowed five unverified, harmful claims about migrants to be aired as fact, breaching its code of conduct.
The SABC, which owns SAfm, was ordered to apologise and acknowledge the ruling on air.
Commenting on the matter today, Friday, 4 September 2026, MACUA said: “This afternoon, SAfm publicly apologised following a BCCSA ruling that upheld our complaint over five unsupported factual claims made about migrants on The National Pulse.
“The significance goes far beyond one interview.”
In a statement made available to The Bulrushes MACUA said the BCCSA upheld its complaint because “SAfm allowed five unverified, harmful claims about migrants to be aired as fact, breaching its code of conduct”.
The statement added that BCCSA has made an important point: broadcasters cannot simply say “those were the guest’s views” when objectively verifiable allegations are presented as facts without proper scrutiny.
“In an age where misinformation often begins in unregulated digital spaces and then migrates into mainstream media, journalists have a critical responsibility to verify, interrogate and contextualise before giving those claims the legitimacy of trusted broadcasting,” MACUA stated.
“Free speech is not freedom from facts.
“The answer to misinformation is not censorship; it is rigorous journalism.”
MACUA said it will continue working with civil society, including through “Siyafana Sonke” to “challenge xenophobic misinformation, defend information integrity and hold media institutions accountable”.
