What do you think of the SABC's election budget needs?
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) says it needs about R120 million to provide proper election coverage of this year’s local government polls.
This was revealed in Parliament this week.
SABC chairperson Nomsa Chabeli said the money would ensure fair and equitable coverage of all political parties, including independent candidates, while also reaching voters across the country.
It would also cover a wide range of election-related needs, including editorial operations, technology, results data, digital capabilities and operational support.
The Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies backed the calls for funding.
“The committee made the call following its engagement with the SABC, which briefed the committee on its state of readiness to provide comprehensive coverage of the elections, Chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko said.
“The briefing highlighted the significant financial resources required for the SABC to execute its election mandate, with an estimated R120 million required to support its election coverage operations.”
While some have resigned themselves to the fact that the coverage is needed to bring election coverage and education to the whole country, others baulked at the price and questioned it in light of the quality of the broadcaster’s current offerings.
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel
