Political meddling to blame for SABC crisis
The cause of the perpetual crisis of the SABC is political interference in appointments to both the board and executive management.
This was the declaration delivered by DA shadow minister of communications, Marian Shinn MP, on Tuesday (19 March) in the National Assembly.
The SABC board was officially dissolved after a heated meeting of Parliament’s communications portfolio committee on Tuesday.
Before the disbanding, one of the last two remaining board members, Suzanne Vos, gave the committee her views on the events leading up to the resignation of nine board members in the past week or so.
She accused communications minister Dina Pule of interfering in the board’s operations.
“At the heart of this crisis, if one can call it that, is the view, not only my own, I believe, that ministerial interference in board decision-making and the functioning of the SABC has become extremely problematic,” Vos said.
“Credible South Africans who may want to contribute to the formation of a vibrant, world class public broadcaster are now scarred and embittered people.
“Many of them resigned in disgust at the political machinations that colour most critical decisions,” Shinn said.
“Those I spoke to yesterday said that until the laws are changed to prevent political oversight and interference nothing would change to save the corporation from the destructive path it is on,” the shadow minister said.
Shinn opined that the process the portfolio committee embarked on Tuesday to dissolve the board was bull-dozed through the committee by the ANC.
“While we recognize there is a crisis of governability at the SABC, the whole process of dissolving the board and appointing an interim one reeked of ANC opportunism. This process has effectively short-circuited legitimate nomination processes to find suitable candidates,” the DA’s Shinn said.
She said that had President Zuma acted decisively when the chair and his deputy resigned 10 days ago the events that had since taken place could have been avoided.
“Instead, we have ended up with a process that is characterised by ulterior motives, possibly the installation of a new crop of ANC cronies to do Luthuli House’s bidding at Fawlty Towers,” Shinn said.
“Because the DA believes that political parties should have no role in nominating candidates for the SABC we declined to take part in the listing process that is the norm in the committee’s horse-trading in deciding the composition of entity’s boards.
This interim board must be seen for what it is, a rushed, non-transparent and inadequate affair.“While we do not support this process by which this board was chosen we wish them well in the Sisyphean task of getting the SABC operational until a properly nominated and elected board can be appointed.
“The DA will do everything possible to help ensure that this happens as soon as possible,” Shinn said.
More on the SABC
SABC board officially dissolved
ABC loses 6 more board members
Pule saga affecting business confidence
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