Karen Allen

BBC southern Africa correspondent, Johannesburg

Hearings into the fate of the South African state-run broadcaster SABC have revealed staggering levels of censorship, intimidation and even the diversion of funds to a rival station owned by friends of President Jacob Zuma.

In powerful testimony, from more than half a dozen journalists in front of a committee of MPs, it was claimed that some had been investigated by state security agents in a bid to intimidate them.  

They revealed how they faced death threats, intimidation and also meddling by politically connected managers at SABC.  

One described how they were forced to censor news pictures of opposition protests calling on President Zuma to stand down.   

Journalists also revealed how the embattled broadcaster used public funds to support an industry rival - the TV station AAN7, owned by the wealthy Gupta family whose close ties with President Jacob Zuma were recently the subject of an investigation by the anti-corruption chief.  

It comes as a senior SABC executive - Hlaudi Motsoeneng, whose close friendship with President Zuma was described by journalists as an "open secret" in the newsroom - failed to show up for work after a court ruled on Monday that his appointment had been unlawful.