DA's censorship complaint to be heard tomorrow morning
The Democratic Alliance submitted a complaint to ICASA on Saturday afternoon, relating to the SABC's decision to censor our television and radio adverts.
The DA has received correspondence from ICASA requesting that we make oral arguments to them tomorrow morning at 09h30.
The regulations clearly state that ICASA should decide on any complaint within 48 hours of receipt. This means ICASA should have replied to our complaint this afternoon.
Nevertheless, the DA will accede to the request to hear the matter tomorrow morning.
We have however made it clear to ICASA that we will not accept any further delay in this matter.
The SABC's decision to censor our television and radio adverts is clearly prejudicial to our election campaign and only serves to benefit the ANC.
Their decision cannot be allowed to stand.
UPDATE: DA's censorship complaint to be heard Thursday morning
This afternoon the Democratic Alliance received a letter from ICASA asking that the hearing relating to the SABC's decision to censor our television and radio adverts be postponed to Thursday morning at 09h30, ostensibly because the ICASA Complaints Committee is not able to quorate tomorrow morning.
The DA is extremely concerned that the 48 hour timeline set by ICASA's regulations has been ignored in this case, and that the hearing will now only occur in three days' time. The DA's election campaign will be prejudiced as a result, and the ANC's will be advantaged.
The DA will participate in the hearing on Thursday morning, but our legal team has written to ICASA this afternoon to request an undertaking from ICASA:
That it delivers its decision on the complaint by no later than 17h00 on Thursday 17 April 2014, and
That they give us this undertaking by no later than 9am tomorrow morning, and
That there be no further delay
The DA's letter to ICASA can be read here.
The SABC's decision to censor our television and radio adverts is clearly prejudicial to our election campaign and only serves to benefit the ANC.
Their decision cannot be allowed to stand.
Statements issued by James Selfe, Chairperson of the DA Federal Executive, April 14 2014
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