The Star newspaper reported it had seen an email instructing editorial staff that “with immediate effect”, President Jacob Zuma’s “Nkandla home should be referred to as the president’s, or Mr Zuma’s, Nkandla residence”, and not a “compound“, or “homestead” or “any other such term”.

SABC head of news Jimi Matthews told The Star that the word “compound” was a term used by white South Africans to refer to homes for “black migrant workers. It comes from our racial past [as a way of referring] to accommodation for migrant workers on the mine”.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago told the daily he would not discuss the email.

“There’s nothing that says because we are a public broadcaster, every meeting, everything must be on the radio for everyone to listen to,” said Kganyago.

The opposition Democratic Alliance visited Zuma’s residence at Nkandla in KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend.

The building of the residence, which reportedly cost over R200 million and was funded with taxpayers’ money, was in still in progress.