EFF condemns discrimination against indigenous languages by the SABC

23 March 2021

The EFF condemns the discrimination against indigenous languages being practiced by the South African Broadcasting Cooperation (SABC). In a shocking revelation, producers at the national broadcaster have revealed that the new television news structure has declared redundant senior roles that preside over programming given in Sesotho, Setswana, Tshivenda, Xitsonga, Sepedi, Isindebele and Siswati. Further to that, digital space is not given to programs given in this language, undermining the core mandate of the national broadcaster.

The EFF is not shocked by this development as we had long warned that the restructuring and retrenchment at the SABC was part of a ploy to cripple the entity and undermine its duty of delivering accurate and representative content to the South African populace.

To undermine certain indigenous languages by an entity of such importance is the highest form of tribalism and erasure, and is dangerous in that it perpetuates the superiority of some others. It is tantamount to cultural treason for the SABC to decide that the only languages of importance are either Isixhosa, IsiZulu and English, at the expense of the rest of the population.

It is language that is at the centre of identity, history and crafting of national discourse, and to erase certain nations out of the framework of a public broadcaster is divisive and undermines any agenda of national unity.

The EFF calls for equal access to digital platforms, and treatment of producers of all news segments and content at the SABC across all languages. Retrenchments and

restructuring that are at the expense of indigenous languages is corrosive and must be undermined by all African people and the asset that is the public broadcaster must remain representative of all a African people.

Issued by Vuyani Pambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 22 March 2021