The SABC on Wednesday refused to meet with the Democratic Alliance to discuss its election coverage policy.
The request — which the SABC learnt about through the media — was ”irregular, unacceptable, and an attempt to interfere with its editorial independence,” said SABC spokesperson Paul Setsetse.
Earlier on Wednesday the DA told the media it was seeking an urgent meeting with SABC news editorial staff over the SABC’s election coverage policy.
DA election spokesperson Douglas Gibson said the meeting would be ”to discuss and hopefully resolve the problem”.
However, the SABC saw the request as an ”attack” by the DA. ”It brings into disrepute the integrity of the SABC”, said Setsetse.
He said it led to the conclusion that the DA had refused to accept the findings of the independent regulator on its complaint.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on Monday had ruled in favour of the SABC in a complaint that the broadcaster had contravened its editorial code by providing live coverage of a speech by President Thabo Mbeki on the day of the launch of the African National Congress’ election manifesto.
Since then the SABC had also refused to cover a DA ”critique” of ANC manifesto pledges.
Gibson said that the broadcaster had an obligation to expose the voting public to a range of views, and was ”flagrantly violating” that obligation.
”Thanks to SABC’s refusal to air that debate, millions of South Africans are being denied their right to a diversity of views over issues that are crucially important to them,” he said.
He said a debate over key policy areas and the future direction of South Africa was precisely what an election in a democracy was all about.
Setsetse said the DA’s accusation that the SABC was compromising the prospect of a free and fair election was ”unsubstantiated and grossly unfair.”
”In this regard, as with all other attempts by other political parties to interfere with its editorial independence, the SABC repudiates this latest accusations by the DA.” – Sapa