“Hacktivist” group, Anonymous Africa launched an attack on the SABC, taking down most of its websites this afternoon.
The hack saw the public broadcaster’s main and news websites, as well as those of radio stations SAfm and 5FM, go down for a few hours and being restored at around 4pm.
This is the same group that hacked the ANC’s website in 2013.
According to the group, the motive behind the ban is what it calls censorship, due to the SABC doing away with the broadcasting of violent public protest footage on its news bulletins.
You have heard of the Arab Spring? Well now its time for the #African Summer!
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
The SABC going to censor South Africa? They going to be thunderstruck! https://t.co/aRjndPFVIu
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
We will stop the attacks at SABC (for now) at 4pm. We are not done yet, lots of action coming. Things are going to get wild!
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
@SABC_COO Here is looking at you sunshine ;) todays downtime is caused by your crimes against the people of SA
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
SABC are still offline, I think someone broke something trying to fix what was happening #oops
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
The SABC is still #TangoDown! This includes #SAFM & #5FM web assets.
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
We have stopped (for now) training SABC. We are not done yet. A lot more needs to be exposed and talked about #WatchThisSpace
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
According to the group’s other tweets, this won’t be the last Hlaudi and co will be seeing of such hacks.
Every time @SABC_COO censor the SABC more, we are going to come back, and keep hitting harder until @SABC_COO can not get up again. #Anonops
— Anonymous Africa (@zim4thewin) June 12, 2016
Judging by the responses to the hack, South Africans don’t feel sorry for the public broadcaster or its COO, who is the brains behind the alleged ban.
@zim4thewin lol I love this????
— ThembileThembs Shazi (@BlackFireFly892) June 12, 2016
@zim4thewin well done guys. Love your work!
— Lourens Marthinus (@lourensvz4) June 12, 2016
@zim4thewin well done guys!
— Wendy Gloss (Kay) (@fireraven86) June 12, 2016
@TVwithThinus@zilevandamme@zim4thewin So much for a national keypoint???????bleee!
— Hlanganisa (@KhesaNozulu) June 12, 2016
SABC spokesperson Kazier Kganyago, confirmed the attack to Fin24, saying that the public broadcaster will investigate would hack to catch out the culprits.
Kganyago also said SABC technicians were working on restoring all its websites, which confirms Anonymous Africa’s tweet about someone “trying to fix what was happening”.
“It is a serious matter that we are not taking lightly,” Kganyago said.