The MK Party has accused the SABC of effectively silencing it ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
They allege that the public broadcaster has given the party virtually no election coverage.
MK MP Adil Nchabeleng in Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies made the accusation on Friday, 2 October.
Nchabeleng told MPs that MK had been shut out of the SABC’s election coverage.
“Our party, MK Party, hasn’t been covered in any way. There have not been one-on-one interviews on our programmes, our manifesto or our activities in communities. There hasn’t been coverage of any of our rallies,” he said.
He questioned whether the alleged lack of coverage was deliberate.
“Minister, I’m not sure if this was intentional. Was it a political ploy to make sure that you silence, mute or gag political parties from getting access to free-to-air public broadcasting?” Nchabeleng asked.
He said the problem was particularly serious on radio.
“Radio has completely gone silent on running an effective election campaign in respect of political parties. MK is registering a serious dissatisfaction with how this whole elections planning and funding has happened,” he said.
Nchabeleng called for a special committee meeting and a press briefing on the matter.
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi rejected the suggestion that political parties were being gagged.
“There is no decision made to gag any political party. It would be inappropriate to do so,” he said.
Malatsi also urged political parties to accept invitations from the SABC.
“It becomes important for us, equally in our capacities as leaders of our own political parties, that where invitations have been extended, we also honour them, so that there is no sense that there may be exclusion of other parties,” Malatsi said.
SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli also pushed back against MK’s version of events.
“The narrative that there is no coverage currently taking place is actually misplaced, because there’s extensive coverage taking place,” she said.
Chabeli said MK was already scheduled for election coverage.
“If I look at the MKP, we currently have the date of the 18th of October in Mbombela, and the editorial teams are in discussions with the MKP about venues. MKP gets invited to the mayoral debates,” Chabeli said.
The SABC said it has already held nine radio town halls and plans at least 76. Sunday live television debates and mayoral debates are also under way.
But other MPs argued that the existence of election programming does not necessarily mean parties are receiving meaningful or equitable coverage.
DA MP Shara Singh attended the SABC’s first debate in eThekwini last Sunday.
“For all intents and purposes, they’re not really public. They’re actually supporters of political parties that are invited to come through. There was no equity in the way the questions were asked,” she said
Singh said the DA received only one question, just before the end of the debate.
“Will we all be satisfied? No. Do we all want more coverage? Absolutely. But at the end of the day, we need to make sure that it is equitable,” Singh said.
PA MP Ernest Hendricks said there was little time left before voters went to the polls.
“We are pressed for time and there’s no coverage yet. Is there going to be any coverage?” he asked.
The SABC says the scale of its election coverage is constrained by funding. It is still waiting for R120 million from National Treasury for its election coverage.
The elections will be held on 4 November.
Africa Daily has asked the SABC how many times MK has featured in its election coverage since the election date was proclaimed on 7 August. Their response will be included once received.