New SABC board members must dump their baggage – SOS Coalition

Civil society organisation SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS Coalition) says though it welcomes the diverse composition of the new SABC board appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa, it remains opposed to some board members because of their baggage.

SOS Coalition national coordinator Uyanda Siyotula said the organisation stood by its objections against the appointments of Dinkwanyane Mohuba, Mpho Tsedu and deputy chair of the board, Nomvuyiso Batyi.

Conflict of interest

SOS was particularly concerned about the conflict of interests that could arise if Tsedu and Batyi continued to sit on the board because of their current jobs.

Siyotula said one of the conditions of appointment to the 12-member board should be that the two should resign from their jobs – but this was not reflected in their final appointments.

Tsedu works for the department of communications and digital technologies as an advisor to the deputy minister while Batyi is CEO of the Association of Communications and Technology.

She said Mahuba was not suited to serve on the board because he had allegedly asked two people to write his PhD dissertation for him at the University of Limpopo.

“We believe integrity is important for members of the board. We don’t think he qualifies to join the SABC board because of this scandal.

“Other than that, we believe we have a strong board with diverse expertise [in] broadcasting experience, policy development, and lawyers and people with a strong financial background.

“This is important because the SABC is in a financial crisis,” said Siyotula.

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Due to this, it needed strong leadership to restore its finances. Oversight and financial management were also strict requirements for SABC governance.

“The SABC is losing money. We need it to jerk up its act so that each of its income streams should be able to support the corporation’s sustainability and not go into wasteful expenditure,” she added.

Wasteful expenditure

Among others, the board should prioritise outstanding plans to deal with wasteful expenditure and urgently attend to matters emanating from the previous board, including the migration from analogue to digital.

“The board needs to hit the ground running and get themselves oriented to the work and systems of the SABC so it can understand what’s working and not working and to put in place new systems and policies where necessary so it can uphold its democratic role,” she said.

Contracts expiring

Siyotula said the board should also prioritise the contracting of SABC executives because contracts were about to expire including those of the group CEO and chief financial officer.

Their terms will expire in the next two months. SOS also questioned Ramaphosa’s discretionary powers to appoint board members.

It claimed there was no law to provide him with these powers. She mentioned Palesa Kadi as an example and said Ramaphosa had exercised the powers he did not have to take her from the reserve pool of candidates without a mandate from parliament.

“Obviously that is something we will hold him accountable for,” said Siyotula.

But she was pleased he had finally appointed the board, adding that if he had realised the significant role the SABC played to enhance the country’s democracy, he would have appointed it earlier.

Besides Mohuba, Tsedu, Batyi and Kadi, the full nonexecutive SABC board comprises chairperson Khathutshelo Ramukumba, Dr Renee Horne, Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane, Phathiswa Magopeni, Aifheli Makhwanya, Magdalene Moonsamy, Rearabetsoe Motaung and David Maimela.

READ MORE: Ramaphosa appoints new SABC board – see who made the cut

– ericn@citizen.co.za