The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has appealed to MultiChoice to scrap news channel ANN7 following complaints by "thousands of concerned South Africans that their DStv subscriptions are used to fund a Gupta-connected news network".
The channel, previously owned by the controversial Gupta family, was recently purchased by former government spokesperson Mzwanele Manyi.
"On behalf of thousands of concerned South Africans, we ask you to rethink your continued broadcasting of the ANN7 channel," said Outa chief executive Wayne Duvenage.
Outa in its statement refers to recent media reports indicating MultiChoice pays ANN7 at least R50-million to broadcast their news content to DStv subscribers.
MultiChoice has denied that it pays R150 million a year for the content.
"There is a growing demand for clarity on MultiChoice's position on ANN7... We are mindful of media freedom and freedom of speech and endorse it ourselves, but we sincerely ask that Multichoice do the right thing by heeding the call by civil society, for greater transparency and decisive action against entities linked to possible criminal activities and state capture."
Duvenage said Outa supporters believed that ANN7 peddled "fake news" and pro-Zuma propaganda "with the channel openly attacking those who take umbrage on matters of state capture and corruption linked to President Zuma, his family and friends".
Outa is a nonprofit civil organisation.
The state capture inquiry underway at Parliament takes place against the backdrop of former public protector Thuli Madonsela's "State of Capture" report, made public in November last year.
The report analysed alleged systemic corruption being perpetrated through state-owned companies, and -- fuelled by further allegations over the past 11 months -- sparked a national outcry from opposition political parties, civil society, business leaders, the public, and from within the ranks of the governing party itself.