The Democratic Alliance (DA) will today file an application in the Johannesburg High Court to compel the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to cover its Federal Congress live this weekend.
Yesterday‚ the DA said it would take legal action against the national broadcaster for reneging on a commitment to cover the party’s elective congress in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The party had given the SABC until 6pm yesterday “reconsider this about-turn on live coverage”‚ said DA’s federal executive chairperson James Selfe.
On Friday morning‚ Matthew Gerstner‚ the DA director of communications for provinces‚ told RDM News Wire that SABC’s chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s office had contacted Selfe on Thursday to say he would “convey the broadcaster’s decision” on the matter after 10am.
Two phone calls from Motsoeneng followed on Friday‚ said Gerstner‚ and the SABC boss apparently told the party it is standing firm on its decision‚ which has now prompted the party’s court application.
Gerstner said the party’s lawyers in Johannesburg would be filing the motion shortly.
In a statement on Thusday‚ Selfe said: “It is manifestly in the public interest that a national elective congress of the official opposition in South Africa‚ representing over 4-million votes‚ receives coverage on the national broadcaster.
“Both the public interest‚ and the SABC’s own editorial policy demand that this congress be broadcast to all South Africans‚ on the national broadcaster.”
Selfe said the SABC has “unfailingly covered major national events of the ANC”‚ including ruling party’s Mangaung conference in 2012‚ for “four days of non-stop live crossings‚ extended Morning Live segments and specially commissioned programs titled ‘Dateline Mangaung’ ”.
DA takes SABC to court over non-coverage of congress
Yesterday‚ the DA said it would take legal action against the national broadcaster for reneging on a commitment to cover the party’s elective congress in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The party had given the SABC until 6pm yesterday “reconsider this about-turn on live coverage”‚ said DA’s federal executive chairperson James Selfe.
On Friday morning‚ Matthew Gerstner‚ the DA director of communications for provinces‚ told RDM News Wire that SABC’s chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s office had contacted Selfe on Thursday to say he would “convey the broadcaster’s decision” on the matter after 10am.
Two phone calls from Motsoeneng followed on Friday‚ said Gerstner‚ and the SABC boss apparently told the party it is standing firm on its decision‚ which has now prompted the party’s court application.
Gerstner said the party’s lawyers in Johannesburg would be filing the motion shortly.
In a statement on Thusday‚ Selfe said: “It is manifestly in the public interest that a national elective congress of the official opposition in South Africa‚ representing over 4-million votes‚ receives coverage on the national broadcaster.
“Both the public interest‚ and the SABC’s own editorial policy demand that this congress be broadcast to all South Africans‚ on the national broadcaster.”
Selfe said the SABC has “unfailingly covered major national events of the ANC”‚ including ruling party’s Mangaung conference in 2012‚ for “four days of non-stop live crossings‚ extended Morning Live segments and specially commissioned programs titled ‘Dateline Mangaung’ ”.
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