Parliament approves SABC board candidates, now Ramaphosa has to sign it off

The shortlist of candidates nominated to serve on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board has been approved by Parliament.

On Tuesday afternoon, MPs in the National Assembly resolved to recommend the 12 candidates to President Cyril Ramaphosa for final appointment.

‘Scored an own goal’

Debating on the candidates before voting, Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard cautioned against cadre deployment at state-owned enterprises (SOEs), saying that she believed the process s of filling the vacancies was rushed.

However, she backed the board’s appointment nonetheless.

Kohler-Barnard also took a dig at SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe.

“The SABC has been left without the board for nearly two months with no oversight over the CEO, who apparently headed off to Qatar to watch the football. This was the same CEO who just weeks ago bragged to this committee how he brought the losses down to R201 million.

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“But while he was focusing on his favourite football team, he scored an own goal as the losses projection suddenly trebled to a massive R608 million. Perhaps in this case he should have kept his eyes off of the football and kept it on the job he is paid such a ransom to do,” she said.

She further criticised the public broadcaster’s management for firing former head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni earlier this year.

“Today a great wrong has been righted,” Kohler-Barnard said on Magopeni’s nomination to the SABC board.

Vetting

The process of appointing the new SABC board has dragged on for months due to delays in vetting, which is conducted by the State Security Agency (SSA).

The previous board’s term ended on 15 October.

Alongside Magopeni, former SABC journalist Dr Renee Horne, veteran broadcaster Mpho Tsedu, and the CEO of the Association of Comms and Technology, Nomvuyiso Batyi, will serve on the new SABC board.

READ MORE: SABC board: Delay in appointments ‘worrisome’ and could lead to ‘destabilisation’

The other recommended candidates included Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane, Khathutshelo Ramukumba, Professor Franz Krüger, Aifheli Makhwanya, Rearabetsoe Motaung, lawyer Magdalene Moonsamy, Dinkwanyane Mohuba and Dinkwanyane Mohuba.

The National Assembly also adopted three additional names – Zolani Matthews, Palesa Kadi and Quentin Green – who were placed on a reserve list to be appointed if one of the 12 candidates were unable to serve on the board.

Finances

The SABC’s ability to continue going forward has been questioned.

Last month, the SOS public service broadcasting coalition said the pubic broadcaster’s current financial standing posed a threat to its existence, following the Auditor-General’s 2021-22 annual report which indicated the R201 million loss in this financial year may cast significant doubt on its ability to continue operating.

“As such, the incoming board’s primary focus should be to devise policies and strategies that seek to remedy the financial downturn at the SABC,” the SOS Coalition’s national coordinator Uyanda Siyotula said.