What is causing the fresh crisis in the SABC board?

Following its recent financial woes and the imminent retrenchment of nearly 1 000 staff members, the embattled South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is facing yet another crisis after four members of its board resigned this week.

And while opposition parties were quick to hurl accusations at the ANC over the current crisis, the departing board members themselves maintained complete silence.

Deputy chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama, John Matisonn, and Krish Naidoo had tendered their resignations to the presidency earlier this week, while the fourth board member, veteran journalist Mathata Tsedu, also resigned yesterday morning.

The presidency confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa had accepted the resignations yesterday, but would not give any further information.

Tsedu yesterday admitted to submitting a resignation letter to Ramaphosa, but denied receiving any response about whether it was approved by the president. He also mentioned that in his resignation letter he had advised on the manner in which he wanted to be released from duties and that no confirmation had yet been made.

“I am still a board member of the SABC and therefore am not in the position to discuss matters within the SABC board. Any questions should be directed to the president … and any confirmation regarding my resignation should be made to me and not through the media,” said Tsedu.

Attempts to reach the other three members proved fruitless.

News24 reported that they had been in contact with Naidoo, who said he had realised there was no point in staying on.

“As I said in my letter, the inability of some of the board members to understand the difference between corporate independence, accountability and political interference has led to a breakdown in the relationship with the minister. That was my turning point,” he was quoted as saying. “I would rather use my energy in saving the SABC than fighting government.”

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) released a statement laying the blame for the crisis at 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, saying the crisis in management was the result of a financial dilemma.

They argued that Ramaphosa must give the embattled broadcaster “the guarantee it needs to raise meaningful money in order to stabilise”.

The board had previously revealed current cost-cutting methods were not enough to stem the financial haemorrhaging and announced a plan to cut 900 permanent jobs and 1 200 freelancers. This apparently put them at odds with communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams.

The party said they wrote to Ramaphosa asking him to intervene but he did not respond, prompting them to speculate the SABC board was “set up to fail”, so that the ANC could replace the current board with one “they can control”.

– news@citizen.co.za

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