EFF see red after advert is not aired
JOBURG - The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has lodged a complaint against the SABC with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.
This was in reaction to the SABC’s decision to ban the party’s election advert. The advert stated: ‘Let’s stop Nkandla corruption and ‘Destroy e-tolls physically’.
“The SABC wrongly and illegally banned this advert because of the EFF’s decisive position, shown in the advert, that in an instance when it [the party] takes government it will physically destroy the undemocratically imposed e-tolls,” party leader Julius Malema told reporters in Johannesburg.
“The SABC refuses to air this advert, arguing that it incites violence.”
He accused the SABC of trying to keep the party out of the public eye.
Malema said his party submitted its advert after the broadcaster allocated free slots on radio and television to political parties contesting the general elections.
However, the national broadcaster failed to air the advert scheduled for 20 April.
The party took to social media after the advert failed to air.
Its Facebook and Twitter accounts had links to the advert, saying the SABC has touched the EFF “on the wrong side”.
The party would take legal action against the broadcaster and would roll out mass action on 29 April regarding the banning if no resolution was reached.
“The advert must be aired on SABC television to allow voters… so that they make an informed choice about who should govern, particularly in Gauteng,” Malema said.
Responding to Malema’s claims, the broadcaster denied that it had banned the party’s advert.
“We did not ban the advert, they [the EFF] submitted it and we rejected it on the basis that the advert incited violence and encouraged people to commit criminal acts,” SABC’s spokesperson Kaiser Kganyago said.
The message ‘Destroy e-tolls physically’ contravened the SABC’s code and the decision was made not to air the advert, he said.
The EFF had been informed of the reasons for the broadcaster’s decision, he added.
Meanwhile, last week the SABC and the DA had come to a resolution after the broadcaster had banned the party’s ‘Ayisafani’ television and radio adverts.
The broadcaster confirmed that it would lift the ban and resume flighting the party’s adverts immediately.
The DA and EFF’s adverts share similarities, both featuring images of the Marikana massacre and the recent protests at Bekkersdal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVDzu-wgo8
