UMKHONTO WE SIZWE MILITARY VETERANS ASSOCIATION RESPONSE TO THE LATEST SABC BOARD RESIGNATIONS AND THE CURRENT SITUATION

This communication serves to reinforce our case as the MKMVA against some members of the SABC Board, as identified in our last communication.

It has since come to our attention that the SABC Board has made pronouncement to the effect that the MKMVA is in fact incorrect about the so called allegations that it has put across about the SABC Board.

If that was the case, we would like to ask the Board to explain the following:

I) Why did Peter Harris write to the Business Day confessing to having been paid the amount involved only adding that this was done as was agreed with the Board.

II) Again if we are wrong we would like the Board to out in Public and state categorically that MKMVA did not state the facts correctly in the matter of the following memebers of the SABC Board: a) Peter Harris; b) David Niddrie and c) Cedric Gina.

In addition to the above, it we now also know the following:

1) Firstly, Dr Ngubane told  stunned staff members that he as Chairman did not sign the letter to suspend their Group CEO Solly Mokoetle as required by the statutes of the SABC. He went on to reveal that his authority was usurped in his presence by the Deputy, Felleng Sekha because he Dr Ngubane had voted against the decision to suspend Mokoetle and was considered no longer trustworthy to execute the resolution.

2) Secondly Dr Ngubane disclosed further that the Board had not given a signed letter of appointment also as required by corporate governance to the acting CEO Robin Nicholson.

It has also emerged that when appointed Nicholson himself was still serving terms of a warning following disciplinary action against him by the Interim Board for financial mismanagement.

3) Thirdly Dr Ngubane revealed to staff that he himself was amazed why the Board would accuse Mokoetle of failing to perform when up until now the Board had failed to arrive at a Performance Agreement with the Group CEO. He could not understand what was the basis of allegations of poor performance against Mokoetle by some Board members when there was no document outlining his KPA's.

4) Dr Ngubane also disclosed to a shocked staff that he never authorised for any of the several payments made to Board members for services rendered beyond their official roles such as the R200 000 paid to Mr Peter Harris as a consultant on the Sports Five rights negotiations and the amount of R16 000 per letter paid to Mr David Niddrie for the several letters he wrote to the Group CEO.

5) These are shocking revelations which clearly demonstrate the dysfunctionality of this Board and corroborate the call by MKVA for the resignation of all its members and for Parliament to dissolve it urgently.

There is obviously a cabal within this SABC Board that has seized authority from the legitimate Chairman and has turned this national asset into their own family farm. We cannot allow this situation to stand unchallenged!

Hoping this communication help to clarify and further advance our truthful case.

Kind regards

Kebby Maphatsoe

Issued by MKMVA, September 8 2010

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