The Democratic Alliance (DA) has described as “a joke” the argument put forward by lawyers for the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to justify the “refusal to air our paid election adverts”.
It described the “SABC’s explanatory affidavit to our complaint lodged” with the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) as “renewed desperation…to use misleading and‚ quite frankly‚ contradictory excuses”.
“The SABC has argued that they have to wait to confirm that we are a registered political party and have submitted our lists‚” the party’s Phumzile van Damme said.
“The regulations are clear‚ as admitted by Icasa on SAfm today (Wednesday)‚ 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.”
Van Damme also attacked the “excuse” that the SABC “needed until 4 June 2016 to ‘investigate’ the matter”.
The SABC affidavit said the broadcaster’s acting chief executive officer Jimi Matthews had “requested an indulgence”‚ and it “was not unfathomable that (he) would not be in a position to provide confirmation of the DA’s demand to be allocated slots by the end of the day‚ 27 May”.
Van Damme retorted: “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.”
She said the “is becoming increasingly apparent that the SABC is determined to do whatever it can to censor our adverts”‚ but added that the “DA will not be deterred by this undemocratic conduct and will do everything possible to ensure our adverts are aired”.
The SABC affidavit can be read at:
Van Damme: SABC delaying tactics over DA advert a joke
It described the “SABC’s explanatory affidavit to our complaint lodged” with the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) as “renewed desperation…to use misleading and‚ quite frankly‚ contradictory excuses”.
“The SABC has argued that they have to wait to confirm that we are a registered political party and have submitted our lists‚” the party’s Phumzile van Damme said.
“The regulations are clear‚ as admitted by Icasa on SAfm today (Wednesday)‚ 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.”
Van Damme also attacked the “excuse” that the SABC “needed until 4 June 2016 to ‘investigate’ the matter”.
The SABC affidavit said the broadcaster’s acting chief executive officer Jimi Matthews had “requested an indulgence”‚ and it “was not unfathomable that (he) would not be in a position to provide confirmation of the DA’s demand to be allocated slots by the end of the day‚ 27 May”.
Van Damme retorted: “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.”
She said the “is becoming increasingly apparent that the SABC is determined to do whatever it can to censor our adverts”‚ but added that the “DA will not be deterred by this undemocratic conduct and will do everything possible to ensure our adverts are aired”.
The SABC affidavit can be read at:
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