PCC Statement on SABC failure to report

MKMVA notes the failure of the SABC Board to report to the Portfolio Committee on Communications on its sitting on Wednesday, 20th October 2010. This confirms what we have always highlighted that the SABC Board is dysfunctional and there is no progress within the SABC.

The SABC Board has been given adequate time in office and have failed to meet statutory requirements but they have called the suspended GCEO to a lot of unnecessary meetings unrelated to the strategic direction of the SABC.

MKMVA wishes to applaud the PCC regarding the statement it released on the SABC not having hope of being saved from mediocrity by its current Board and further note that as we have stated that there is no difference between the current Board and the previous Board. The current Board is representative of the growing culture of using state institutions as a base of enriching themselves.

The resignations of the SABC Board members have been finalised and we want to categorically state that we believe the existence of the current composition of the Board is a lump on the progress of the SABC and it is hampering the mandate of the public broadcaster of this nation as we have noticed with the recent broadcasting hiccups. We have never observed such a failure of leadership, in fact the SABC has been put in a condition of a ship without a radar and captain.

We are still calling for the reinstatement of Solly Mokoetle as GCEO after observation of irregularities and breaches of corporate governance and dissolution of the current mechanical board that fails its statutory obligations. We are still calling on the State President to dissolve the SABC Board immediately and start a process to appoint a new Board that is representative of our society with a perspective ready to address the challenges of our society and fulfill its obligation to the masses of our people who are poor and a majority dependant on the SABC as their only means of being updated, informed and entertained.

It is clear that this current Board of the SABC will never be able to lead the corporation to come out of its current abyss. This Board has failed the nation and must go!

The MKMVA is also disappointed at the rash remarks lacking any substance constantly released on behalf of the CWU which is a progressive union affiliated to the glorious representative of the working class, COSATU. We believe that the working class remain the pillar of our struggle and the primary motive force of the National Democratic Revolution. It would not be in our interest and that of the nation if we find that the working class issues are relegated to narrow politics that seek to hide the wrong done within the board opportunistically. As MKMVA we avail the Commissariat to all members of the MDM to assist with working class political understanding as a revolutionised and highly trained component of our movement.

Statement issued by Kebby Maphatsoe, MKMVA national chairperson, October 21 2010

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