The Democratic Alliance (DA) has briefed its legal team to urgently challenge the “treasonous act” by African National Congress (ANC) “cadres” in the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), after the broadcaster rejected the party’s TV election advertisement, depicting the South African flag burning.

DA leader John Steenhuisen said that this was an attack on free speech and a suppression of the opposition, that confirmed the urgency of the warning contained in the DA's ad.

He added that the “ANC’s clampdown on freedom of speech” to protect itself from criticism, is but a “small foretaste” of what is to come under the ANC/EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) Doomsday Coalition, which he said would burn the country’s flag, the democracy, and the economy to the ground.

“In their desperate attempt to suppress the DA, because they know we are about to defeat them, ANC lapdogs inside the SABC have decided to ban the DA’s television commercial from the air,” said Steenhuisen.

He explained that the political advertisement aimed to show citizens what South Africa could look like after May 29, if voters failed to vote for the DA.

“In what is already the most successful political advertisement in our democratic history – with over four-million views online and millions more on radio and TV – we symbolised how South Africa’s flag, its Constitution, and its future would burn to ashes if voters sit back and allow the ANC, the EFF, and other destructive populists to seize power,” he said.

He highlighted that the prospect of seeing the country’s flag, and all that it symbolises, going up in flames, had grabbed the attention of a country that was about to go through the “most profound political transition” in 30 years.

“Because, in this election, the ANC will lose its majority. But they will do anything to stay in power. Imagine a coalition between the ANC, the violent EFF, and the Zuma faction. Under this coalition of corruption, life will only get worse,” he said.

The SABC, in its letter to the DA, noted that it had been monitoring the outcry from South Africans of all races condemning the advertisement which was currently in circulation on various media platforms, saying it believed the ad encouraged the damage of treasured national symbols.

“The national flag is a national symbol which represents diverse elements of the country and national unity. Additionally, it is expected that the national flag should be accorded with dignity and respect. Thus, the flag is not a representation of a political party but the nation at large,” the broadcaster highlighted.

The SABC said it had also noted the condemnation of the advertisement by President Cyril Ramaphosa and other government departments.

Steenhisen explained that the SABC was actively preventing the people of South Africa from “seeing the truth” about how the ANC had set the country on fire.

“This blatant act of censorship is an unprecedented assault on our democracy, less then three weeks before an election where the ANC is set to lose for the first time. They have today even called for the DA to be barred from participating in the election! This is the behaviour of undemocratic scoundrels who are terrified of the truth,” said Steenhuisen.