SABC under-fire after “emotional” interview with Nicholas Ninow’s mother

Social media users are outraged regarding an SABC interview, with the mother of a child rapist, Nicholas Ninow, and the backlash stems from citizens believing that the broadcaster could use the same energy on the victim’s family, instead of trying to “humanise” the perpetrator.

SABC labelled as “insensitive” for planning to air this interview

In the social media short video clip, a Chantal Ninow appears to be tearful and expresses that her son “made a mistake” and outrageously denies that Nicholas is a child rapist; the mother takes it a step further and apologises to the eight-year-old victim stating:

“I’m sorry to that little girl’s parents and that little girl. I really am sorry and if it was my child I would be so angry. And I know sorry doesn’t cut it but there’s nothing else I can say.”

Chantal Ninow

News anchor expresses that they wanted to know “how” a mother does drugs with their son

A SABC news anchor, Chriselda Lewis, caught the fury after she posted a short clip of the interview, as a “teaser” for the full airing scheduled at 17:00 on Monday, Lewis has been labelled as an “unethical journalist” and politicians, activists and citizens alike have voiced their opinions.

However, Lewis has further communicated to social media users that Nicholas Ninow blamed drugs for his behaviour, at the North Gauteng High Court during mitigation of sentencing, as Ninow stated that he was introduced to hard drugs at the age of 13 by his mother, and accused her of getting him hooked, on “hard drugs”.

The SABC anchor has elaborated that:

“We are not legitimizing. We simply went to his mother, to ask her why she was a bad mother. How do you do drugs with your child? I shared a snippet of an exclusive interview conducted with Chantal Ninow following her son’s conviction.”

SABC news anchor, Chriselda Lewis

This was a bad call. You showed his baby pictures and his mother crying as if their family are the victims in all this. It's a bad editorial decision to humanise this criminal.

— Dr. Sithembile Mbete (@sthembete) October 27, 2019

Social media users have accused SABC of making the family relive the pain

Social media has accused the broadcaster of trying to garner sympathy for Ninow, who has been sentenced to life behind bars for rape and five years for drug possession.

During the sentencing, the presiding judge stated that Ninow failed to prove his remorse for this horrendous act and maybe there is “a chance” he could be rehabilitated in the future.

“There are many people who were raised by terrible parents who don’t go around raping children. There are so many drugs addicts who don’t go around raping children. His decision to rape has everything to do with the fact that he wanted to do it. You were wrong, Chriselda Lewis.”

Miss Andiswa

“Journalism owes its being to the people it serves. Without the people there is no journalism. If people don’t want you to give airtime to a rapist, morality and journalism ethics dictate such. You cannot put the needs of a rapist above the needs of a rape survivor!”

Dimakatso Mokwena

“A sober judge already sentenced Nicholas Ninow to life imprisonment on rape and abduction charges. Here’s Sabc News giving his mother another chance to speak in mitigation of sentence again. Any idea what this is doing to the young victim & her family?”

Hloni