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SOS Launches #SaveFreeTV Campaign to Protect Public Access to Free-to-Air Television
August 20, 2024SOS and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) urge political parties to pritoritise the SABC
As we enter a new chapter in our democracy post-2024 elections, SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), along with many CSOs, urge political parties to prioritise credible legislative developments that foreground the independence and sustainability of the SABC. As the new government is sworn in and the President inaugurated, this is particularly important for those in the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies (PPCC) in the 7th Administration.
The proposed SABC Bill, deferred by the former PPCC to the new administration, poses significant threats to the principles of impartiality and autonomy. We urge the PPCC to place the SABC Bill at the forefront of its agenda and institute its immediate withdrawal.
Recent media reports of Media24 closing down the print operations of some of its major print newspapers, including City Press, Rapport, Beeld, and the Daily Sun, exacerbate the importance of a strengthened SABC, which plays an essential function in sustaining our news ecology. The SABC is a key institution in filling in the gaps in news coverage and circumventing a potential news desert. Its role becomes even more crucial as we navigate the complexities of post-elections governance.
The independence of the SABC is vital to ensure an informed electorate and to uphold the democratic process. During national elections, the SABC duly ensured that all are kept abreast of the latest developments through comprehensive elections coverage. This was of particular importance for those without alternative access to information. Such a role cannot be replaced by any other media or news organization, given that 30 million watch the SABC’s TV channels alone.
The proposed Bill continues to subject the SABC to an outdated TV license fees model that has proven ineffective for over two decades. It provides the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) 3 years to only develop a funding model framework, rather than an actual funding model despite the dire financial state of the SABC. Moreover, it grants expanded powers to the Minister, inviting undue political interference that could undermine the SABC’s operational and editorial independence.
Our campaign calling for the withdrawal of the SABC Bill has seen robust support from various CSOs across the country. On the 23rd of May, SOS engaged with the community of Lenasia, where residents voiced their concerns and signed our petition for the withdrawal of the SABC Bill. This support underscores the public’s desire to actively defend the independence and credibility of the public broadcaster.
We urge all political parties to listen to the voices of the citizens and ensure that future legislative developments concerning the SABC protect it from political interference and supports its mandate to serve the public interest. We further call on the new PPCC to keep the SABC Bill at the forefront of their agenda.
Together, we can ensure the SABC remains a beacon of free and independent journalism. Join us and 37 other organisations in our campaign to withdraw the SABC Bill and secure an independent and credible public broadcaster.
For more information, please contact:
Noor Ahmad
SOS Campaigns’ and Communications’ Coordinator
079 363 2126
This statement is endorsed by the following organisations who have also endorsed the campaign for the Withdrawal of the SABC Bill:
1. Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF)
2. All Nations Community Centre
3. Alternative Information Development Centre (AIDC)
4. Amabhungane
5. amandla.mobi
6. Benchmarks Foundation
7. Cape Town TV
8. Centre for Applied Legal Studies (CALS)
9. CFE (Campaign for Free Expression)
10. Dear South Africa
11. Defend Our Democracy
12. Equality Collective
13. Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI)
14. groundWork, Friends of the Earth South Africa
15. Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ)
16. International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG)
17. Imali Yethu Coalition
18. Independent Producers Organisation (IPO)
19. Lawyers for Human Rights
20. Legal Resources Centre
21. Media Monitoring Africa (MMA)
22. Msunduzi Association of Residents Ratepayers and Civics (MARRC)
23. My Vote Counts
24. The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA)
25. Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI)
26. People’s Media Consortium (PMC)
27. Project Youth SA (PYSA)
28. Public Service Accountability Monitor (PSAM)
29. Right2Know Campaign
30. Right2Protest
31. South African National Editors Forum (SANEF)
32. South African Screen Federation (SASFED)
33. SECTION27
34. Social Policy Initiative (SPI)
35. The Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation
36. Workers World Media Productions (WWMP)
37. Youth Must Rise
