Gayton McKenzie: We must not come here with financial apartheid!

McKenzie, along with Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi, recently convened a meeting between the management of SABC and eTV in response to the recent non-broadcast of the rugby tour of Ireland to South Africa.

The tour was broadcast live only on SuperSport’s premium package, while a delayed broadcast was available to its compact subscribers, but with the Springboks absent from Free-To-Air channels for several years now, McKenzie wants to put a stop to this.

"Well, I think we're halfway through the talks, but I know how these talks are going to end – with the majority of South Africans watching Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, and their national teams on TV," declared McKenzie.

"The national teams belong to people, it does not belong to broadcasters, it does not belong to politicians. I will make sure I fight until the end to make sure people are not denied from watching their national teams because they can't afford decoders.

"That will not happen. I will fight for the people to be able to watch their teams – we must not come here with financial apartheid! Because that's exactly what it is."

The leader of the Patriotic Alliance – who is part of the newly established Government of National Unity, in his first few weeks since succeeding Zizi Kodwa in the Ministry, has already ruffled some feathers. 

This includes cutting funds previously allocated to “super fans” who previously travelled to international tournaments with national teams. 

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