Icasa 'must keep SABC on leash'
2004-01-10 13:39
Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance, IFP and the UDM will be writing to the broadcast regulator on Monday to demand that steps be taken to enforce SABC compliance with the public broadcaster's Charter.
The move by the DA, Inkatha Freedom Party and United Democratic Movement follows sharp criticism of the SABC's decision to broadcast President Thabo Mbeki's speech at this weekend's launch of the ANC election manifesto.
"If the ANC election manifesto launch is purportedly judged to have sufficient news value to merit live coverage, then the manifesto launches of the major opposition parties at election time merit the same," the three parties said in a joint statement on Saturday.
"An election with only one player is no news. In fact it tells a story that breaks a different kind of news, namely that we are well on our way to becoming a one party state with a state broadcaster in tow.
"The law says otherwise - and the regulator (the Independent Communications Authority of SA) should enforce it."
DA spokesperson Dene Smuts said the Broadcasting Act contained clear references to the public broadcaster's Charter and its provisions.
"It is Icasa's job to enforce those provisions," said Smuts.
On Friday, SABC spokesperson Paul Setsetse contended Mbeki's speech would be broadcast in his capacity as head of state, not ANC leader.
"He will be speaking as the president of the Republic of South Africa. That fact must be accepted and respected."
This would be Mbeki's first public address for 2004, and an opportunity for the SABC to "extend the president's message".
On Saturday, the opposition parties charged that government tried to take control of SABC programming policies in 2002 with amendments to the Broadcasting Act.
"The opposition parties presented a united front and threatened to use their Constitutional power to refer such amendments to the Constitutional Court.
"Government backed down, resulting in the present provisions which put the power to monitor and enforce compliance with the Act in the regulator's (Icasa's) hands - where it constitutionally belongs."
The parties argued the SABC could not "evade the diversity requirements that are laid down in law even outside election times".
- SAPA