The SABC has banned its election ad according to a press statement issued by the EFF. This follows on news last week that the SABC had banned, and then unbanned, an election ad by the DA. In the ad the EFF calls for justice for the victims of the Marikana massacre and the 
‘physical’ destruction of eTolls.
EFF statement:
This campaign to keep the EFF out of the public eye has now been adopted by the South African Broadcasting Cooperation, SABC. As part of the public broadcaster’s constitutional duty to promote access to information to all South Africans, the SABC allocates free slots on radio and television to all contesting political parties. The EFF, as it is with all other parties standing in these elections, received its free slots, and accordingly submitted an advert to inform South Africans of its policies. This advert was supposed to have been aired on the 20 April, 2014 but was not, because the SABC has taken a decision to ban it.
The SABC wrongly and illegally banned this advert because of the EFF’s decisive position shown in the advert that in an instance when it takes government it will physically destroy the undemocratically imposed eTolls on Gauteng motorists and commuters. The SABC refuses to air this advert arguing that it incites violence.
EFF has as a result launched an urgent complaint with Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) against the SABC decision. The EFF will take legal action against the SABC and will roll mass action on 29 April, 2013 until our advert is aired as its banning is a clear violation of the freedom of expression.
The banning of this advert is a clear indication of the ruling party’s refusal for eTolls to be on the agenda of these elections. SABC, which reports to Luthuli house has acted in the interests of their wishes to suppress the fact that the ruling party imposed eTolls on South Africans. Nonetheless, we reiterate without any fear of contradiction that we shall physically destroy eTolls to allow South Africans to use their roads without paying any additional money to the tax they already give to government. The advert must be aired on SABC television to allow voters to know this so that they make an informed choice about who should govern, particularly in Gauteng.
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