DA demands answers as SABC abruptly halts Afrikaans news bulletin without notice or justification

Issued by Willie Aucamp MP – DA National Spokesperson
07 Apr 2025 in News

Please find attached soundbites in English and Afrikaans by Willie Aucamp MP. Please scroll down for the Afrikaans statement.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) appears to think it can suddenly stop airing the Afrikaans news bulletin without giving any notice or justification.

The sudden disappearance of the Afrikaans news bulletin this past weekend, without any communication from the SABC on the reasons behind this decision, is troubling.

The DA demands that the SABC provide immediate clarification on why this essential service has been halted. It is crucial that we understand whether this is a permanent change, a once-off incident, or something else entirely.

We will write to the SABC to request urgent answers regarding this matter, and we call on the SABC to restore the Afrikaans news bulletin as soon as possible, ensuring that all South Africans, regardless of language preference, continue to receive reliable and timely news.

For many South Africans, the SABC Nuus on SABC2, which has a devoted audience of over 300 000, has been an essential source of news and information. All of these viewers must pay for their TV licenses, and it is completely unacceptable that the SABC would show such indifference to such a large segment of the population. As the public broadcaster the SABC has a duty to serve all language communities.

The DA will hold the SABC accountable and will not tolerate such a lack of transparency in our pubic broadcaster.

DA eis antwoorde terwyl SABC Afrikaanse nuusbulletin skielik stop sonder kennisgewing of regverdiging

Die SABC dink blykbaar hy kan skielik ophou om die Afrikaanse nuusbulletin uit te saai sonder om enige kennisgewing of regverdiging te gee.

Die skielike verdwyning van die Afrikaanse nuusbulletin die afgelope naweek, sonder enige kommunikasie van die SABC oor die redes agter hierdie besluit, is kommerwekkend.

Die DA eis dat die SABC onmiddellike verduideliking gee oor hoekom dié noodsaaklike diens gestaak is. Dit is van kardinale belang dat ons verstaan ​​of dit ‘n permanente verandering, ‘n eenmalige voorval of iets heeltemal anders is.

Ons sal aan die SABC skryf om dringende antwoorde rakende hierdie aangeleentheid aan te vra, en ons doen ‘n beroep op die SABC om die Afrikaanse nuusbulletin so gou moontlik te herstel, om te verseker dat alle Suid-Afrikaners, ongeag taalvoorkeur, steeds betroubare en tydige nuus ontvang.

Vir baie Suid-Afrikaners was die SABC Nuus op SABC2, wat ‘n toegewyde gehoor van meer as 300 000 het, ‘n noodsaaklike bron van nuus en inligting. Al hierdie kykers moet vir hul TV-lisensies betaal, en dit is heeltemal onaanvaarbaar dat die SABC sulke onverskilligheid teenoor so ‘n groot segment van die bevolking sal toon. As die openbare uitsaaier het die SABC ‘n plig om alle taalgemeenskappe te dien.

Die DA sal die SABC verantwoordbaar hou en sal nie so ‘n gebrek aan deursigtigheid in ons openbare uitsaaier duld nie.