SABC Board: DA concerned by nomination of Media Appeals Tribunal advocate

The Democratic Alliance (DA) notes the four newly nominated members of the SABC Board. Given the turmoil that the SABC has undergone in the past few years, including compromised integrity as a public broadcaster, allegations of bias, financial mismanagement, governance failures and state bail-outs of over a billion rand, the new members of the board have much work ahead of them.

The newly nominated board members are: Dr Sethe Patricia Makhesha; Mr John Sembie Danana; Adv. Cawekazi Benedicta Mahlati and Mr Lumko Mtimde. The DA is especially pleased by the nomination of Dr Makhesha, who we believe was an excellent candidate. If approved, we hope she will bring a sense of integrity and even-handedness to the board.

However, we must voice our strong concerns over the nomination of ANC and SACP member, Lumko Mtimde, a candidate greatly supported by the ANC Youth League and steamrolled into this nomination by the ANC despite strong objections over his compromised record on media freedom.

In a column on the ANC's website last year, Mr Mtimde said of the ANC's mooted Media Appeals Tribunal:

‘South Africa should welcome the proposal and debate its modality such that the outcome serves the intended objectives.'

It would be inappropriate for an advocate for a body that shuts down and regulates expression and speech to be appointed a governor of the primary information source for the majority of South Africans.  The public broadcaster should be mandated to relay all information and news accurately and fairly without any fear of state censorship. On these grounds, the nomination of Mr Mtimde by ANC majority vote seems counter-productive, especially given the currently hazardous state of the SABC and its reputation.

Indeed, it is disappointing that the ANC has used the opportunity of board nomination for cadre deployment. The DA believes that the new board, when constituted, should be cognisant of the fact that the SABC is a public broadcaster and that to live up to its mandate, the board will have to govern effectively as custodians of the organisation for the South African public.

Statement issued by Natasha Michael, MP, Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister of Communications, March 1 2011

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