"Down with the SABC, down! Down with the SABC, down!" chanted protesters waving placards and banners, upset with what the political party calls scant, marginalised and biased news coverage of the IFP.
The IFP in its first-ever public protest march against the SABC, says it demands "equal coverage for all political parties in South Africa".
The IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa says the IFP has had enough of the public broadcaster operating as an "ANC and government station instead of a public broadcaster. A multi-party democracy shouldn't work like this. We want an end to this."
The SABC will have to endure another public protest next week. The trade union Mwasa also plans a public march and protest action on Wednesday 19 September in front of the SABC's doors. And a third public protest action for next week is also being planned.
The SABC News division - supposed to have launched a 24-hour news channel at the beginning of September on DStv with substantial investment from MultiChoice - came under sharp criticism this week.
It follows after claims and allegations that the SABC is manipulating news coverage regarding the controversial public figure Julius Malema, the former ANC Youth leader. The SABC on Thursday evening denied news bias in its coverage.
"The SABC is a public broadcaster, and we feel we have not been getting our fair share of coverage," Mangosothu Buthelezi said. "Not only since 1994 but even before then."
"As SABC we shall not be biased to any political parties," said the SABC's acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng who met with the protesters. "We are committing ourselves here. We will work together."
