Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has called on DStv to provide the SABC with the rights to broadcast the Rugby World Cup final.

The Springboks take on England in the match on Saturday.

According to Lesufi, this will enable the whole country to follow the national rugby team, instead of just “the privileged few”.

Before the start of the tournament in September, the DA's shadow communications minister, Phumzile van Damme, pleaded with MultiChoice to share SA's games. 

The cash-strapped public broadcaster failed to secure the broadcasting rights to the tournament, which are owned by MultiChoice and SuperSport.

 Van Damme said: “In the spirit of nation-building, MultiChoice should, at the very least, consider sharing games in which the Springboks are playing with the public broadcaster.

“This will go a long way in demonstrating goodwill to the people of South Africa."

However, MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs, Joe Heshu, said at the time that any action that sought to devalue sports rights, however well intended, “places the future of sporting codes at risk”.