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SABC’s board term ended last week and no new directors have been appointed yet.
- Appointment of new SABC board to replace directors whose terms expired last week has been postponed
- SABC does not appoint interim boards to fill vacancies left by previous boards.
- The National Security Agency conducts background checks on candidates vying for the SABC board.
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The appointment of the public broadcaster’s new board of directors has been delayed due to a review of candidates, and no interim structure can be selected until the process is complete, a parliamentary portfolio committee said Tuesday.
The SABC board’s five-year term expired last Saturday and the public broadcaster has no board because it is subject to background checks on candidates for office by the National Security Agency.
Boyce Maneri, chairman of the Portfolio Commission on Telecommunications and Digital Technologies, urged legislators to allow the development of a vetting process to ensure “history does not repeat itself”, urging candidates to He added that there were cases where he was allowed to join the board only to prove they were not fit.
Maneri said the law does not allow the appointment of an interim board after the term of the previous director has expired.
“There is no Interim Commission. Interim Commissions can only be appointed if there is one. [were a] It’s a breakup,” Maneri said.
“Since the board is not responsible for such duties and only plays a strategic role, the day-to-day operations of SABC have not stopped,” he added.
SABC’s Board of Directors consists of 12 non-executive members and 3 executive members. This is not the first time a SABC Board composition has faced delays in review.
In March 2017, then-Communications Minister Faith Muthambi blocked the company’s interim board from resuming operations until it obtained state security clearance.
READ | SABC Job Cuts Failed, Candidate Says He Wants to Join Next Board
Current candidates include Professor Saths Cooper, Professor of Journalism at the University of Wits Franz Krüger, former SABC broadcaster Mpho Tsedu, former presidential adviser Lumko Mtimde, whistleblower and former SAA Group Treasurer Cynthia Stimpel, and former Prasa CEO of Zolani Matthews.
“There is no political intention to slow the process. The commission made a wise decision that it wants people vetted,” Maneri said.
He said the review process is also part of a response to some of the issues raised at the State Judiciary Commission on Capture regarding public agencies, including SABC.
The incoming board is expected to continue the public broadcaster’s enforcement, with a focus on strengthening its financial position and reducing its dependence on state funding.
The government provided SABC with R3.2 billion in additional funding in 2019, and last week CEO Madoda Mxakwe said the R201 million net loss seen in fiscal year 2022 was down from the previous year. of R530 million, a sign of improvement. in company finances.
To ensure SABC’s accountability, public broadcaster lobby group SOS Coalition sent a letter to the National Prosecutor’s Office on Monday to follow the Zond Commission’s recommendations regarding further investigation and possible prosecution of former SABC executives. requested. This letter has been shared with the Portfolio Committee.
Last year, the commission recommended that the SABC Institute take minutes to recover the R4.2 million spent on broadcasting Guptas’ New Age (TNA) breakfast briefing.
It also recommended that former CEO Lulama Mokhobo and former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng be investigated for violations of the Public Financial Management Act.
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