Johannesburg – Populist politician Julius Malema`s party has been refused to run an election campaign advert by South Africa’s public broadcaster who alleged it was inflammatory, the party said Wednesday.
Free airtime slots on the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) are supposed to be given to all political parties participating in the May 7 general elections.
But the advertisement by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which was due to be broadcast on Sunday and Tuesday, was not aired.
“We submitted an advert and the SABC took exception to its content… especially the images of police brutality from the Marikana massacre,” said party spokesman, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi .
The broadcaster was said to be uncomfortable with the ad’s slogan suggesting people destroy the gantries for highly unpopular toll roads rolled out last year in and around Johannesburg.
“Those are the grounds of their ban,” he said.
The SAPA news agency quoted SABC spokesman Kaiser Kganyago as saying the ad was “rejected” because the slogan “destroy e-tolls physically” — referring to the new electronic tolling system — incited violence.
Ndlozi denied the ad would foment unrest, saying billboards bearing the same message had been erected around Johannesburg and Pretoria but “none of our members has taken a hammer to try and remove the e-tolls.”
A complaint has been lodged by EFF with the regulator of broadcasting services, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.
The 61-second ad, which has been posted on YouTube, opens with a “heartbroken” widow of one of the mine workers killed by police during the 2012 Marikana strike, followed by a clip of the shootings.
After that Malemaa firebrand politician who rose to prominence calling for the seizure of white-owned land and the nationalisation of the country’s mines — urges a “vote against empty promises of the last 20 years”.
The spot ends with anti-tolling slogans.
Malema cried fowl onTuesday and gave the example of an unlevel media playing field, telling reporters that “unfair coverage leads to unfair elections.”.
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