JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – South Africa’s state broadcaster SABC came under investigation by a media commission yesterday for airing footage of the beheading of a US hostage in Iraq during its early evening news programmes.

The Xhosa news bulletin of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) showed the two-minute footage of US engineer Eugene Armstrong being decapitated by hooded men in Iraq during its 7:30 pm broadcast on Tuesday.

“Everybody was shocked by the viewing,” said Donna Mohamed of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa.

“It went out so early. It’s family time and most parents encourage their children to watch the news and see what’s happening,” she told AFP.

The Broadcasting Complaints Commission opened an investigation and chairman Kobus van Rooyen was to view the footage yesterday to decide if SABC should face penalties for airing the beheading.

“The chairman will view the footage and decide how to deal with the matter,” said Mohamed.

The same footage was shown on the 10:00 pm evening news on the privately owned eTV network, which also faced possible action, she said.

But eTV editor-in-chief Joe Thloloe was quoted on the SAPA news agency as saying they had “cut the visuals before the beheading, although we continued with the screams of the victim. It was not prolonged, not graphic – the fade-off constituted sensitive editing,” he said.

SABC formally apologised to viewers during the same news programme on Wednesday for showing the video and announced that the editor of the show was suspended pending the outcome of the commission’s investigation.

South Africa media observer Raymond Louw said the video “really went beyond the pale”, adding: “TV goes into the home and at that time of day, there may well have been young children watching.”