Dean Smuts, DA spokesperson on communications, says the motion is “embarrassing” and “meaningless”. “It is worse than an attempt to misuse the process: It falls outside parliamentary procedure; there is no basis in law.”
She says the SABC was supposed to give feedback to the portfolio committee on communications at a meeting on issues including its preparation for the switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting from November, but instead the meeting “looked for a reasons to tackle the board”.
Smuts claims MPs in the committee are under pressure from the “post-Polokwane” ANC leadership to “get rid of the new board”, which is seen to be a product of the “pre-Polokwane” ANC. “It’s a big political game”.
The board’s term, which started in January, has been marred by controversy – with the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and others href=”/themedia/view/themedia/en/page2176?oid=6684&sn=Detail” target=_blank mce_href=”/themedia/view/themedia/en/page2176?oid=6684&sn=Detail”threatening legal action over its composition.
Khotso Khumalo (ANC), whip in the portfolio committee, says the motion of no confidence in the “entire” board was passed on Wednesday (30 April) as a result of the inability of the board and the SABC management to work together.
He claims there has been a breakdown in the relationship between board chairperson Kanyi Mkonza and SABC group chief executive Dali Mpofu. Khumalo referred to a board memorandum containing “serious allegations” against the SABC management, which was href=”/themedia/view/themedia/en/page2176?oid=7636&sn=Detail” target=_blank mce_href=”/themedia/view/themedia/en/page2176?oid=7636&sn=Detail”leaked to the media.
He says the committee chairperson plans to table the motion as part of the Announcements, Tablings and Committee reports (ATC) process, after which it is envisaged that the issue will be debated in the National Assembly, possibly resulting in a recommendation.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says the SABC wants to assure the public that “everything is going on as normal” at the public broadcaster despite the motion.
■This is an update of the story first published on TheMediaOnline.
