The ongoing governance decay at the SABC is in a deeper crisis

6 October 2016

This is, conversely, the basis for a solution – the appointment of a new and capable board willing to free the public broadcaster from corporate capturers and political manipulators!

The Wednesday 5 October 2016’s resignations by two SABC board members have plunged the empire of the ongoing governance decay at the SABC in a deeper crisis. Krish Naidoo and Vusi Mavuso who both announced their resignations in Parliament yesterday also distanced themselves from the board’s presentation justifying the reappointment of former unlawfully appointed and illegal chief operating officer Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng as group executive for corporate affairs.

Chickens have come home to roost. The governance decay is now eating itself from within. Practically the SABC board is no more – both as a result of the two resignations and already existing vacancies. Previously the board illegally removed its members who were opposed to the decay’s decisions. Consequently, there were serious legal implications that made it problematic to execute their replacement.

A Bill was drafted to amend the procedure for the appointment of SABC board members. This Bill, which at least in its current form will hopefully not be passed into law, curtails the involvement of Parliament, an elected public representative body, in the appointment of SABC board members. It has the practical effect of liquidating the standing Parliamentary process on the appointment of SABC board members by, by and large prescribing that going forward the process should be played by a nomination committee appointed by the Minister of Communications.

The amendment, or rather repeal, of the affected provisions of the law governing public broadcasting will undoubtedly have far reaching implications. It will convert the SABC first at the top governance level with a trickledown effect to look like other state owned enterprises that are by the way not involved in the function of public broadcasting. Further, the Bill has the effect of bringing into law the makeshift “procedure” that was followed by the now defunct SABC board when it controversially removed those of its board members who disagreed with it.

These are some of the problematic factors that Parliament must take into account in ensuring that the SABC is repositioned towards normality, vigorous development and provision of high quality public broadcasting without censorship and manipulation by any person.  

Issued by Alex Mohubetswane Mashilo, National Spokesperson, SACP, 6 October 2016