The public hearing by the Complaints and Compliance Committee (CCC) of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) of the complaint by opposition party the Democratic Alliance (DA) against the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was not fast-tracked due to threat of legal action by the DA, ICASA said.
HumanIPO reported the DA complained to ICASA regarding the withdrawal of DA political advertisements by the SABC, saying the withdrawal constitutes censorship and contravenes freedom of expression.
ICASA referred the complaint to its CCC, and initially postponed the public hearing to April 17, prompting outrage from the DA that the regulator was not adhering to the 48-hour deadline set for resolution of such cases.
DA leader Helen Zille responded by announcing the party would launch a legal suit against the regulator for failing to adhere to the deadline, with ICASA quickly announcing the hearing would be brought forward again to last night.
However, ICASA today denied the hearing was fast-tracked due to the threat of legal action by the DA.
“The public hearings were not held last night due to the intended legal action by the DA,” an ICASA spokesperson told HumanIPO.
“There have been internal discussions to fast-track the matter and a decision was taken with external members of the Complaints and Compliance Committee to have the hearing last night.”
At the hearing last night, Ronnie Bokwa, lawyer for the SABC said the state broadcaster’s withdrawal of the DA’s adverts was due to four reasons – one of the adverts incited violence; some made false allegations against members of other political parties; that Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulations ban one product from attacking another to promote itself; and that no advert can specifically attack individual candidates.
The DA maintains the withdrawal infringes on freedom of expression.
The public hearing is set to continue this evening in Johannesburg, at the ICASA head office from 6pm.
“The matter is still going to be heard this evening to close on the complaint,” the regulator’s spokesperson said.
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