SABC playing hide and seek to prevent airing DA election adverts

31 May 2016

The SABC has still not aired our DA election adverts, despite admitting in an interview with the Mail & Guardian yesterday that they would “start [airing them] now”.  

The DA has attempted since early this morning to place the adverts, but the SABC has not responded to our emails and phone calls. They are simply nowhere to be found. 

This hide and seek game they are now playing with us is yet another delay tactic to prevent them from having to comply with the law and air our election adverts. We have now missed out on two days of advertising space, and this delay is likely to continue as the SABC drag their feet. 

This blatant censorship, like the now ANC-endorsed ban on showing images of protest, is designed to give an unfair advantage to the increasingly weak ANC.  

Indeed, Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s political bosses are clearly scared about the growth of the DA and the momentum we have already gained since the launch of our manifesto last month. 

We will not allow this undemocratic censorship to go unchallenged. We will continue with our complaint to ICASA and we hope that it will be heard as soon as possible.

We urge South Africans to join us in calling on the SABC to stop the ban on the DA and show our election adverts – which sets out our offer to bring about the CHANGE that will move South African forward again. This is change that will stop corruption, deliver better services and create jobs. 

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA National Spokesperson, 31 May 2016