Thursday, 12 February 2026.

The Economic Freedom Fighters condemns, in the strongest terms, the refusal by National Treasury to allocate R120 million to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) for the coverage of the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections. The public broadcaster has now warned that it does not have sufficient funds to provide comprehensive election coverage, placing the integrity, fairness and accessibility of our democratic process at serious risk.

In past election years, additional funding has historically been allocated to ensure comprehensive coverage. This year, however, Treasury’s refusal to provide the requested R120 million, and the lack of an alternative reliable funding mechanism, has thrown the SABC’s ability to fulfil its fundamental democratic role into question. The SABC remains one of the few institutions capable of reaching millions of South Africans in all official languages through radio and television, including rural and marginalised communities who do not have access to subscription television, private news platforms or stable internet connectivity.

In a political environment where hundreds of parties are expected to contest elections, denying the SABC the resources to provide comprehensive coverage effectively denies millions of citizens equal access to information. The implications of this will be severe because without proper funding, there will be reduced debates, limited voter education, weakened regional coverage, and less visibility for smaller political parties.

Furthermore, the SABC is not a commercial broadcaster but a state institution established to serve the public interest and fulfil a constitutional mandate. As such, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure that it is adequately funded to carry out its duties, particularly during elections. The government cannot impose a public mandate on the SABC and then abandon it when resources are required to implement that mandate.

Forcing the SABC into a position where it must seek private funding to cover elections is reckless and dangerous. Election coverage demands neutrality, independence, and unquestionable integrity. If the public broadcaster is compelled to rely on private sponsors or commercial interests to fund its election programming, it risks compromising both its independence and the public’s trust in its impartiality.

The EFF calls on Parliament to urgently intervene and ensure that adequate funding is allocated to the SABC for comprehensive election coverage. Treasury must abandon its selective rigid austerity posture, and recognise that safeguarding democratic institutions requires decisive public investment. Unless of course this is a deliberate attempt to derail the upcoming elections by the ANC, which is facing further losses after losing massively in the 2024 National and Provincial elections.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581