The EFF has lambasted the National Treasury’s decision to refuse to fund the SABC’s R120m bill for election coverage.
In a statement, party spokesperson Sinawo Thambo condemned the move “in the strongest terms”, saying it would compromise the public broadcaster.
“The public broadcaster has now warned that it does not have sufficient funds to provide comprehensive election coverage, placing the integrity, fairness and accessibility of our democratic process at serious risk.”
The party reflected how the SABC has historically been allocated additional funding to ensure comprehensive coverage. However, this year’s request has been denied, and the red berets have sounded the alarm at the risk this poses.
“In addition, the lack of an alternative reliable funding mechanism has thrown the SABC’s ability to fulfil its fundamental democratic role into question,” said Thambo.
The party warned that the public broadcaster remained one of the few institutions which had a wide public reach and was able to inform across all official languages through radio and television.
Forcing the SABC into a position where it must seek private funding to cover elections is reckless and dangerous. Election coverage demands neutrality, independence and unquestionable integrity.
— Sinawo Thambo, EFF spokesperson
The red berets’ spokesperson expressed concern for the rural and marginalised communities who do not have access to subscription television, private news platforms or stable internet connectivity.
“The implications of this will be severe because without proper funding, there will be reduced debates, limited voter education, weakened regional coverage, and less visibility for smaller political parties. Furthermore, the SABC is not a commercial broadcaster but a state institution established to serve the public interest and fulfil a constitutional mandate.”
The EFF added that it was the state’s responsibility to ensure the SABC was sufficiently funded and empowered to carry out its duties, particularly during a crucial time like elections.
“In a political environment where hundreds of parties are expected to contest elections, denying the SABC the resources to provide comprehensive coverage effectively denies millions of citizens equal access to information. The government cannot impose a public mandate on the SABC and then abandon it when resources are required to implement that mandate,” he said.
Thambo said his party believed that this refusal of funding may push the public broadcaster to knock on the doors of the private sector, which posed a threat to its editorial autonomy.
“Forcing the SABC into a position where it must seek private funding to cover elections is reckless and dangerous. Election coverage demands neutrality, independence and unquestionable integrity. If the public broadcaster is compelled to rely on private sponsors or commercial interests to fund its election programming, it risks compromising both its independence and the public’s trust in its impartiality.”
The EFF urged parliament to urgently intervene to overturn Treasury’s decision and for the institution to let go of its fiscal-restraint approach.
“Treasury must abandon its selective rigid austerity posture and recognise that safeguarding democratic institutions requires decisive public investment. Unless of course this is a deliberate attempt to derail the upcoming elections by the ANC, which is facing further losses after losing massively in the 2024 national and provincial elections.”
TimesLIVE
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