The Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) has issued a final interdict against veteran documentary producer Sylvia Vollenhoven in terms of which she may not distribute or broadcast the documentary Project Spear, commissioned by the public broadcaster, notes a Pretoria News report. The SABC was due to broadcast the documentary in September 2012, but gave various reasons for not doing so, including that it would open the broadcaster to defamation claims as there were allegations that could not be substantiated.

But Vollenhoven was adamant her work should be seen, telling the SABC that ‘I think this is an important story and I will do my best to get it out there. My legal advice is that the SABC cannot stop me from pursuing a current version of the story…’ The documentary dealt with the illegal financial assistance given by the previous government through the Reserve Bank to major financial institutions.

The SABC paid R559 169 to VIA, the production house, and maintained that it thus held the copyright.

Acting Judge Lawrence Nowosenetz said it was clear the copyright vested in the SABC, as it paid for it, but he said there was nothing preventing Vollenhoven from still telling her story, as long as she did not use the documentary for which the SABC paid. The judge ordered the SABC within 14 days to enter into negotiations with Vollenhoven as to whether she could buy back the rights to the documentary.

Full Pretoria News report