Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille on Thursday wrote to the South African Broadcasting Corporation requesting that the national broadcaster give the opposition the same television platform afforded to ANC president Jacob Zuma.
”I have today written to the acting CEO and editor-in-chief, Gabriel Mampone, to request that he gives the Democratic Alliance the same opportunity to set out its alternative vision and policies,” she said in a statement.
On Wednesday the SABC hosted Zuma during a special broadcast during which the ANC president briefed viewers on recent developments within the ruling party.
However, Zille said the broadcast amounted to nothing other than a platform for Zuma to ”spout party-political rhetoric”.
”Giving the president of the ANC a special platform without affording the opposition the same opportunity is biased, partial and unbalanced. This is particularly true in this case because Zuma used this platform to say that the DA has no policies,” she said.
The interviewer should not have allowed Zuma’s statement on the DA to go unchallenged.
”It is ironic for Jacob Zuma to make these comments when he has steadfastly refused to join me in a televised policy debate, despite repeated requests to do so. Perhaps if Mr Zuma agreed to debate me, he might brush up on the DA’s policies,” Zille said.
The only way the SABC could rectify the injustice was by affording the DA the same opportunity it granted to Zuma.
”If the SABC refuses our request, it will confirm that it is not motivated by the public interest, but a desire to suck up to whoever is in power,” Zille said.
Zille threatened to haul Mampone before Parliament’s Communication Portfolio Committee should the public broadcaster fail to heed the DA’s call.
The Independent Democrats has also criticised the SABC’s decision to host Zuma.
Zuma concerned
Zuma said in the broadcast that the ANC was not divided right down the middle, but admitted he was ”definitely concerned”.
This followed a week of political drama in which former ANC chairperson Mosiuoa Lekota was suspended and Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa resigned from the party. Both have conveyed that a new party may arise from a national convention scheduled for November 2.
Asked on Wednesday whether unity in the ANC was under severe threat, Zuma said: ”Not necessarily. You have a few comrades who have very strong feelings about decisions in the organisation who decide to part with the organisation. It is a challenge we have to deal with in a manner that is responsible.”
ANC members have to observe its procedures and traditions when trying to resolve matters, he said. ”People now just jump out and say, ‘There are problems here, I’m leaving.”’
On the party losing some of its most prominent leaders, Zuma said: ”I’m very careful of us using the word of ANC division.”
He added: ”There may be special issues in the Western Cape [where there have been rallies apparently in support of Lekota] that make that province look a particular way. Even before Terror [Lekota] went there, at the provincial conference people were not happy. It cannot be assumed this is what is happening throughout the country.”