Parliament hopes to finalise the long-delayed South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Bill by June 2025, according to Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies Chairperson Khusela Sangoni-Diko.
Speaking during a media briefing for Parliament’s economic cluster chairpersons, Sangoni-Diko said the bill remains a priority for the oversight committee, despite previous delays.
The legislation, initially introduced in October 2023, aims to modernise the public broadcaster by restructuring its public and commercial services, establishing a commercial subsidiary board, and providing a legal framework for its funding. However, concerns over potential political interference and an inadequate funding model led Communications Minister Solly Malatsi to withdraw the bill in November 2023—a move Parliament later deemed unconstitutional.
Sangoni-Diko emphasized that the committee is relying on Malatsi to develop a sustainable funding model for the SABC within three years of the bill’s approval. One proposal under consideration is requiring MultiChoice to pay the SABC for hosting its channels on DStv.
“In fact, the Electronic Communications Act states that subscription TV providers like MultiChoice must carry the SABC to ensure nationwide reach. But it also says they must pay for carriage, as MultiChoice does for other channels. The SABC cannot continue providing content at a high cost while platforms carry it for free,” she said.
Meanwhile, Media Monitoring Africa Director William Bird has warned against rushing the bill through Parliament, calling for stronger legislation to ensure the long-term stability of the public broadcaster.