Van Damme to lay criminal charges against Muthambi

The Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister of communication, Phumzile van Damme, will today lay criminal charges against former communications minister Faith Muthambi following a report into political interference at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) alleging that Muthambi meddled in the broadcaster’s editorial decisions.

The SABC released the much-anticipated report last week which highlighted the “capricious use of authority and power to terrorise staff in deflecting the corporation from its mandate and editorial policies”.

Although there was no direct link established between the broadcaster and the ANC, the report cited evidence that showed that, from around 2012 to 2017, SABC executives took instructions from people with no authority in the newsroom.

The report additionally mentioned SABC board member Ellen Tshabalala and Muthambi in this respect.

Van Damme will lay criminal charges against Muthambi following the report at the Cape Town Central Police Station at 11.30am.

Van Damme said: “The DA is of the view that Muthambi violated the Broadcasting Act, which establishes the SABC as an independent institution, when she allegedly insisted that her constituency work for the ANC be covered, among other violations. Moreover, this latest report confirms that she misled Parliament during the SABC Inquiry in 2016 when she explicitly said that she never interfered in the editorial decisions of the public broadcaster.

“Given these findings, it is paramount that Muthambi, who is now a chairperson of a parliamentary committee, is investigated to the fullest extent of the law for her apparent violation of the powers, privileges, and Immunities Act for misleading Parliament during the SABC Inquiry.”

(Compiled by Gopolang Moloko)

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