The eNCA (DStv 403) TV news channel saw its town hall debate broadcast before the 2019 elections in Soweto disrupted by members of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) on Thursday evening, demanding inclusion and accusing the channel of being biased.
The eNCA political editor Vuyo Mvoko and senior anchor Dan Moyane were the moderators of the broadcast debate with the ANC, DA and EFF political parties when UDM supporters invaded the stage.
A live broadcast disruption also took place earlier this month when a political debate broadcast on the SABC's SABC News (DStv 404) devolved into chaos and physical fighting.
Thursday's eNCA town hall debate resumed after a while.
On Wednesday the UDM in a statement slammed eNCA after it was invited and then dropped from the Soweto debate, saying the channel is "biased towards some political parties".
"The United Democratic Movement is shocked and offended by eNCA's style of running its programming in the run-up to the 8th of May elections," said Thandi Nontenja, UDM national treasurer.
"We were invited to a party panel discussion to unpack our manifesto, on 2 May, just to be unceremoniously disinvited, because only the 'three big parties' will be given an opportunity to participate."
"The political playing field is level at this point in time, there cannot be so-called big or small political parties as we are all competing as equals in this election race. Also, an anonymous source informed us that the producer of the show had been removed and that the new producer is a Democratic Alliance sympathiser. Is eNCA slip showing?"
"We believe that eNCA is a biased broadcaster that is not serious about promoting multi-party democracy in South Africa. The UDM will lodge a complaint with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa."
