SABC bans AfriForum’s radio advertisement about “Kill the Boer”

27 August 2023

The SABC has banned the broadcasting of a radio advertisement wherein AfriForum asks the public to support AfriForum’s campaign against polarising statements like “Kill the Boer”. In this advertisement AfriForum indicates that the organisation will oppose polarisation in the case that will be heard in the Supreme Court of Appeals on 4 September and through projects that promotes mutual respect between different communities.

Kallie Kriel, CEO of AfriForum, describes the SABC’s ban as gross sensorship that ridicules the public broadcaster’s claims that the SABC is impartial and against divisive statements. “The SABC has now positioned themselves firmly behind Julius Malema, the EFF and this party’s divisive use of the “Kill the Boer” phrase by trying to silence those, like AfriForum, who are promoting mutual respect by opposing polarisation,” Kriel adds.

According to Kriel it is shocking that the SABC, given the broadcaster’s financial disposition, is willing to reject an income from an AfriForum advertisement just to serve their own ideological biases. “The SABC’s partiality, as shown by banning AfriForum’s advertisement, is exactly one of the reasons why so many people stopped paying their TV licenses,” says Kriel.

The SABC argued that a sub judice rule prohibits them from broadcasting an advertisement at this point because the case was not heard in the Supreme Court of Appeals yet. According to Kriel this is a miserable excuse to try to defend their sensorship, seeing that it is standard practice – even at the SABC – to refer to court cases before it takes place.

Another excuse that the SABC argues is that the EFF should have the right of reply to give their side of the case regarding the advertisement. “The SABC is underestimating the intelligence of its listeners and viewers if they think that the public will fall for an excuse that there should be a right of reply to a paid advertisement. If a bank wants to advertise on the SABC, should other banks now have the right to react to their advert?” Kriel asks.

According to AfriForum the organisation will continue to mobilise the public against the EFF’s polarisation by broadcasting the “banned” advertisement on other radio stations, despite the SABC’s sensorship. This campaign is also driven through newspaper advertisements, marketing campaigns on social media and other internet driven news institutions.

The radio advertisement that was banned by the SABC can be heard on AfriForum’s Facebook page. 

Issued by Kallie Kriel, CEO, AfriForum, 27 August 2023