SABC’s explanatory affidavit shows new desperation to delay DA election advert
2 June 2016
The DA has received the SABC’s explanatory affidavit to our complaint lodged with ICASA.
This follows the public broadcaster’s refusal to air our paid election adverts following the proclamation of the elections.
This affidavit demonstrates a renewed desperation by the SABC to use misleading and, quite frankly, contradictory excuses to not air the DA’s election adverts, as is prescribed by ICASA regulations and the Local Government Municipal Electoral Act.
The SABC has argued that they have to wait to confirm that we are a registered political party and have submitted our lists.
This is a joke.
The regulations are clear, as admitted by ICASA on SAfm yesterday, that political parties are allowed to buy airtime to flight their adverts as soon as the election date is proclaimed. Quite bizarrely, their contradictory affidavit proceeded to reference this very regulation.
The other excuse used by SABC to delay the advert was that they needed until 4 June 2016 to “investigate” the matter. The DA is still not clear what needed to be investigated. Again, the regulations are clear – and the DA complied with these – as we have done in the past. The request for an investigation was merely a thinly veiled attempt to delay the adverts by a week, and therefore limit their effect on the election campaign.
It also must be noted that the main argument used by SABC Spokesperson, Kaizer Kganyakgo, that allocation of slots for political parties first needed to be completed – therefore conflating paid averts with Public Election Broadcasts – was not mentioned once in the affidavit. It has been shown up as poor attempt at spin intended to make up excuses to delay the advert even further.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that the SABC is determined to do whatever it can to censor our adverts and prevent the public from having an opportunity to engage with our offer for change that will move South Africa forward again.
We will not be deterred by this undemocratic conduct and will do everything possible to ensure our adverts are aired.
Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA National Spokesperson, 2 June 2016
