South Africa’s official opposition Democratic Alliance is holding simultaneous public events outside five South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) provincial offices as part of its nationwide campaign to highlight what it views as television-news reporting bias.
In a statement, spokesperson and MP Donald Lee said on Tuesday: ”The DA will erect posters and distribute stickers outside each provincial SABC office, while various national and provincial DA public representatives will set out the DA’s case against the public broadcaster.
”The purpose of the DA’s protest [is] to expose the campaign of propaganda and news manipulation which the public broadcaster has directed towards the DA and, in so doing, to further reduce what little credibility SABC TV news has with DA supporters in particular and the South African public in general,” he said.
The five regional offices outside which the DA will be protesting were in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Bloemfontein, Johannesburg and Durban.
The DA believed the public broadcaster could no longer claim to fairly and accurately inform the public about what is happening in the country.
”Key positions within the SABC have been filled by people aligned to the ruling party, including the CEO, Dali Mpofu, the director of news, Snuki Zikalala and several prominent board members including Christine Qunta and Thami Mazwai.”
The politicisation had the consequence of disproportionate coverage in favour of the ruling African National Congress, it argued.
Lee said: ”Examples include the decision to broadcast live the ANC’s January 8 celebrations earlier this year. The broadcast, which included a full speech from ANC president Thabo Mbeki, lasted over two hours and fell within the official election window period, during which the SABC is required by law to grant fair and equitable coverage to all political parties.
”It gave the ANC a platform to talk directly to the voters and in turn allowed the ruling party to use the public broadcaster for political gain. The same treatment was not granted to other political parties.”
Lee argued that the SABC often ignored important scandals or corruption stories that involved the ANC.
”Examples include Oilgate, one of the biggest political scandals to have emerged in post-apartheid South Africa. Despite the fact that the ANC channelled [about] R11-million worth of public money into its 2004 election coffers the SABC has given the entire debacle next to no coverage or analysis.”
The SABC frequently ignored or misrepresented the official opposition.
”Examples include the manner in which the SABC chose to cover the DA during the 2006 local government election. Despite the law requiring that the public broadcaster provide fair and equitable treatment for all political parties, over a two-month period, the SABC TV news covered only 16 out of 34 DA election events.
”In comparison, despite the fact that the ANC’s campaign lasted only two weeks, the SABC covered 23 out of 34 ANC events. The SABC ignored such key DA events as the launch of the party’s election campaign in the Western Cape.” — I-Net Bridge