The African National Congress (ANC) has stepped up its criticism of Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi over the SABC’s request for an additional R120 million to fund its election coverage.
The ANC Study Group on Communications and Digital Technologies said Malatsi twice declined to support the public broadcaster’s application for additional funding during the adjustments budget process.
The SABC has told Parliament that it requires R120 million to support its coverage of the November 4 local government elections, including the deployment of personnel, technology and broadcasting infrastructure.
The funding request has come under increasing scrutiny in Parliament, with the portfolio committee calling for the money to be urgently secured.
SABC Needs R120m For November Election Coverage
According to the ANC Study Group, the additional funding would enable the SABC to procure critical ICT infrastructure, train staff and provide equitable multilingual election coverage, particularly in underserved communities.
The funding dispute was discussed in Parliament this month, where MPs were told that the SABC’s application had not received support because of technical compliance concerns.
[SPAR Chairman Mike Bosman And Deputy Chair Shirley Zinn Resign]
Malatsi subsequently told the committee that he had engaged National Treasury and the Presidency to explore possible solutions.
The SABC, however, disputed that its application had been submitted late, prompting the committee to request a timeline detailing how the funding application was handled.
The ANC Study Group said it raised the funding shortfall during portfolio committee meetings on August 11 and 14.
It said the committee was informed on both occasions that Malatsi had not supported the application on compliance grounds.
The minister had submitted apologies for those meetings and was therefore unable to directly account for his decisions, according to the study group.
The matter was placed on the committee’s agenda for August 18, when Malatsi attended the meeting.
The ANC said its caucus criticised what it described as a lack of leadership and the way the minister had handled the SABC’s funding request.
ANC Demands Answers From Malatsi Over SABC Funding
The ANC Study Group also pointed to written confirmation from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana dated May 4.
It said the confirmation showed that the SABC’s election funding requirements had not been presented to the budget committees or Cabinet.
[South Africa’s Inflation Drops To 4.3% In July As Food And Fuel Prices Ease]
The study group described Malatsi’s failure to act as a “deliberate move that cripples the SABC”, arguing that the public broadcaster had been left to prepare for election coverage without a confirmed budget allocation.
The ANC said the situation could affect the SABC’s ability to provide comprehensive election coverage across the country.
It has called on Malatsi to provide a detailed timeline and records of all decisions concerning the SABC’s funding application.
The ANC Study Group is also calling for the Ministers of Finance and Communications and Digital Technologies to appear jointly before the portfolio committee to address the funding shortfall.
It further wants a formal report detailing all approaches made to National Treasury and the Presidency, as well as urgent legal advice from Parliamentary Legal Services on whether the minister’s refusal complies with Treasury Regulations.
“The failure lies squarely with the Executive Authority, and the ANC Study Group will use all parliamentary mechanisms to hold the Minister accountable,” the study group said.
SEE TODAY'S TOP HEADLINES ACROSS LEADING PUBLICATIONS
Parliament has warned that the SABC’s financial constraints could affect the depth and scope of its election coverage and result in political parties being unevenly profiled.
The committee has stressed that the public broadcaster has a constitutional and legislative responsibility to provide citizens, including those in underserved and rural communities, with reliable and timely election information.
