MDDA Board: Five reasons why the President must revoke Jimmy Manyi's appointment
President Jacob Zuma must revoke the appointment of government spokesperson Jimmy Manyi to the board of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA).
Mr Manyi's appointment was announced yesterday by the Presidency.
The MDDA is responsible for creating an "enabling environment for media diversity and development" and working with the media industry to address the "legacy of imbalances in media access".
There are five reasons why Mr Manyi is not fit to serve on the MDDA board:
Political influence: Section 2 of the MDDA Act (Act 14 of 2002) states that the agency is "independent", and must exercise its powers without political interference. According to the Government Yearbook, the entity functions "independently and at arm's length of its funders". The appointment of the government spokesperson to the MDDA clearly jeopardises the independence of the entity.
Past conduct: In terms of Section 5 of the MDDA Act, a person may not be appointed as a member of the Agency's board if he has "as a result of improper conduct, been removed from an office of trust". In June 2010 Jimmy Manyi was suspended from his position as Director-General in the Department of Labour following a complaint that he used an official meeting to promote his private interests. Mr Manyi appealed the suspension, but was placed on special leave until his appointment as government spokesperson in February 2011.
Lack of consultation: Yesterday's statement by the Presidency claimed that the appointment of five new board members (including Mr Manyi) "followed recommendations from the National Assembly". Mr Manyi's appointment was not recommended by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and his appointment was not discussed in or approved by Parliament.
Position on media freedom: The MDDA Act also requires that board members must be persons who are "committed to fairness, freedom of expression, openness and accountability". Last year, Mr Manyi made headlines for suggesting that the government could withdraw advertising revenue from newspapers that do not toe the line. These statements draw Manyi's commitment to freedom of expression into question.
Prejudiced views: Mr Manyi has a history of making racially divisive comments. Given his prejudiced views, it is inappropriate that he should be appointed to a body tasked with promoting diversity.
The MDDA Act allows for board members to be removed by the President on the adoption of a parliamentary resolution calling for the member's removal.
When Parliament sits in February, the DA will put forward a resolution to request that Mr Manyi's appointment is revoked, and will canvass other political parties to support this proposal.
This looks like another ill-considered Zuma appointment. The President must limit the damage by revoking Manyi's appointment as soon as possible.
Statement issued by Natasha Michael MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, January 17 2012
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