EFF condemns the censoring of Russia TV on multi-choice packaging

2 March 2022

The EFF condemns broadcasting company Multi-Choice, for unilaterally deciding to remove Russia Today from the bouquet packages of DSTV, in the midst of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict.

In a move that undermines both press freedom and the rights of consumers who pay for the DSTV service, Multi-Choice has chosen which news outlets consumers must watch and dictated what content must be watched, based on their allegiance in a complex conflict in Europe.

This is a classic move by imperialist aligned entities, who want to monopolise what people think and be the sole custodians of a narrative which requires balanced and fair reporting. Multi-Choice has basically declared that the only reliable international news outlets, are those aligned with NATO, such as CNN and the BBC.

This is patently false, because these networks have been complicit in the war-crimes of nations such as the United States of America and the United Kingdom, by presenting their desire for global conquest as quests for democracy.

When the United States of America began its parasitic infiltration of the Middle-East to secure oil reserves, under the pretence of fighting terrorism, CNN, Fox News and the BBC remained on our television screens.

During the US and UK invasion of Iraq, CNN and the BBC never got cancelled on DSTV despite widespread international condemnation of the invasion. Even when was clear that journalists of the US and UK broadcasters were embedded in the illegal and criminal invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, DSTV never cancelled them.

It is an indisputable fact that the basis of USA and UK invasion of Iraq was a lie. There were never weapons of mass destruction, yet DSTV continued to allow their propaganda broadcast platforms to continue peddling lies to the world.

The censoring of Russia Today is nothing but an attempt to shut down a contending narrative to news outlets that have been complicit in genocide in the developing world.

We demand the immediate reinstatement of Russia Today, and not this condescending move which seeks to force feed a one-sided narrative on the conflict

between Ukraine, Russia and nations which belong to the hypocritical NATO.

The attempt to present war criminals, who have brought war to Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and have set up military bases all across Africa, as the sudden humanitarians of the world must be rejected.

South African citizens must be allowed to make an informed view on the conflict in Europe, and not be fed narrow propaganda by networks who have a history of packaging imperialist expansion as "peace-making" efforts.

Issued by Sinawo Thambo, National Spokesperson, EFF, 4 March 2022