EFF blames Ramaphosa for SABC crisis

The EFF has released a statement laying the full blame of the crisis at SABC at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s feet.

The party said they wanted the president to intervene in the crisis affecting the SABC board and attempt to stop the exodus of board members.

The crisis in management was as a result of a financial crisis, said the party, going on to argue that Ramaphosa must give the embattled broadcaster “the guarantee it needs to raise meaningful money in order to stabilise”.

The party said they wrote to Ramaphosa asking him to intervene but he did not respond, something they appear to think had caused the SABC to start “going under”.

The EFF further alleged the SABC board was “set up to fail”.

READ MORE: Another SABC board member resigns

According to the party, the ANC has purposefully tried to collapse the SABC so they had an excuse to replace the current board with one “they can control”.

“How can a minister demand the SABC to rethink its retrenchment plan, when she is not giving them any guarantee?” the statement asks.

It is referring to Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who like her predecessor Nomvula Mokonyane, has opposed the proposed retrenchments at the broadcaster.

While the statement puts the EFF at odds with Ndabeni-Abrahams, she has, like the party, called on Ramaphosa to intervene.

Despite this, the party appears to be placing her and others along with the president in a camp that supposedly want the SABC to fail so they can appoint a new board.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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