By John Ikani
South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) has kicked against the removal of Russia Today (RT) from the list of Multichoice channels available for viewership, describing it as an infringement on people’s rights.
MultiChoice Group confirmed on Wednesday that Russian state-owned news channel Russia Today (RT) has been “removed from [the] DStv platform until further notice”.
RT’s disappearance followed an announcement by MultiChoice which said it would not pull the channel from its pay-TV bouquets, despite bans and sanctions placed on it and Russian news broadcaster Sputnik by Google, YouTube, Microsoft, Meta and Twitter.
A statement issued on Saturday by ANC spokesperson, Paul Mabe said the decision to withdraw the TV station has negatively impacted “the freedom of choice to subscribers,” adding that the development limits subscribers’ consumption of news on the developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.
“The ANC believes that this censorship act done in bad faith during human rights month in South Africa undermines subscribers freedom of association and negatively impacts on the need for plurality of views and media freedom which is sacrosanct and provided for in our constitution,” the statement reads.
“The reasons conveyed by MultiChoice in seeking to justify this censorship act are quite bizarre and lack any legal and humane justification.
“Stifling the plurality and diversity of views undermines internationally agreed principles on freedom of speech, choice and association.
“The ANC condemns in the strongest terms possible any form of bias by media conglomerates in South Africa which limits the plurality and diversity of views.
“Even at this late hour, the EU must still provide legal justification for this course of action.
“Our own competition commission should also act to safeguard the interest of subscribers of Multichoice by quantifying the loss and demanding of such to be reimbursed.
“The ANC also calls on Multichoice to reconsider its decision of censorship and immediately reinstate Russian TV on its platform.”
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