BREAKING. Icasa: This election every one of the 121 political parties in South Africa to be seen on SABC; coverage monitored from 24 April.

You're reading it here first.

''As per the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) there's 121 listed political parties. We decided this year that every single political party is going to be seen on public television within a 2 minute slot or heard on radio within a 2 minute slot,'' the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (Icasa) told parliament today.

''Up till now every single thing regarding political coverage has really been under the control of the SABC, not Icasa. Icasa's election broadcast period only start on 24 April. From 24 April Icasa will be monitoring all the SABC's news and political coverage and see if the SABC is assisting with the evolution of a free and fair election. Our reports and monitoring only really will start from 24 April. What you've been seeing on television until now is the SABC still operating on its own turf outside our legislative framework.''

''As of 24 April those minutes have to be captured on television - the political content you as a political party has given to the SABC. If you've given content to the SABC it must be broadcast as such. It cannot be edited by the SABC, it cannot be manipulated by the SABC and it must be shown within the slot.''

ALSO READ: South Africa's TV authority Icasa tells parliament it's unable to monitor the content of the SABC due to lack of equipment.