With four resignations, vacancies on SABC board must be filled urgently

6 December 2018

The DA notes that President Cyril Ramaphosa has accepted the resignations of four South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) members, Khanyisile Kweyama, John Mattison, Krish Naidoo and now Mathatha Tsedu.

The resignation of these board members, all who were part of the SABC’s interim board and instrumental in steering the SABC to calm waters following the disastrous Hlaudi Motsoeneng era is highly unfortunate.

It would have been desirable for all board members to stay on and work together to fix the dire financial crisis facing the SABC which has now been exacerbated by the illegal interference of the new Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

We are aware of the interim board members’ implication in the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) investigation into the awarding of a security tender, which was found to have been awarded irregularly. There was financial misconduct in contravention of the PFMA and we await the final report anticipated to be released in March 2019.

The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize must now approve the immediate advertising of the four new vacancies in order to allow Parliament to fill what are now eight vacancies on the SABC board with urgency.

The filling of four vacancies that existed due to the resignations of Rachel Kalidass, Victor Rambau, Febbe Potgieter-Gqubule and the withdrawal of Nomvuyiso Batyi has been advertised. Another advertisement must now be issued with the same deadlines of nominations closing on 21 December 2018, so that the committee can interview for all eight vacancies in January 2019.

The DA will write to the Chairperson to request that this happen as a matter of urgency in order to allow for the SABC board to continue with its work.

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, 6 December 2018