SOS calls for extension to SABC board nominations deadline

SOS expressed its concern regarding putting forward new members because it believes that the current conditions on the board are not conducive to members playing their critical oversight roles. It does, however, believe that this is an important moment for the communications sector (new minister, deputy minister and new acting chair of the Portfolio Committee on Communications).

"We believe that with this new leadership in office the possibility of resolving the various crises affecting the SABC is strong. However, in order to ensure that the minister, deputy minister and acting chair have time to take action, we urge the Portfolio Committee to extend the nomination deadline to allow time for the necessary changes to be effected," says the SOS.

Substantive progress required

The coalition also believes that substantive progress on the following issues is required:

• Chair of the board: SOS believes that Dr Ben Ngubane, who has been involved in a series of serious corporate governance breaches at the SABC, should either resign or be removed by the appointing body (including Parliament and the president).

• In terms of the corporate governance breaches, SOS believes that Parliament should deal decisively with the following:

  • The unilateral appointment of the head of news,
    
  • the board's decision (although later reversed) to appoint an acting CEO from outside the corporation in direct violation of the SABC board's Articles of Association,
    
  • the chair's refusal to sign the delegation of authority document in terms of the appointment of the acting CEO, and
    
  • the chair's unilateral decision to announce on SABC TV and Radio that there had been problems with the appointment of an acting CEO and that he was hoping to reinstate suspended CEO Solly Mokoetle.

• Also in terms of the corporate governance breaches, SOS believes that the remaining board members (including the executive members of the board who are part of SABC management) should publically commit themselves to scrupulous adherence to good corporate governance practices and protocols going forward.

• Finally, SOS believes that gaps in the Broadcasting Act, 1999 should be swiftly dealt with. It says that Parliament needs to make a commitment to amending the Broadcasting Act, 1999 to state clearly that the minister has no role to play in the appointment of the executive members of the board.
  The appointment of the executive members is solely the responsibility of the board. SOS has pointed out on numerous occasions during the Broadcasting Amendment Bill process in 2008 that the Broadcasting Act is problematically silent about the appointment of executive management. To date, continues the coalition, Parliament has not resolved this issue, creating continuing crises around these appointments. "Further, these gaps in the legislation encourage inappropriate Ministerial interference in the direct management and editorial control of the SABC. People must remember that the CEO of the SABC is also the SABC's editor-in-chief."

Convince people of integrity

All of the above is necessary, says the coalition, in order to be able to convince people of integrity to stand for the SABC Board.

A further issue that needs to consider is the overall composition of the board in terms of the issues of skills, experience and representivity. This means that it is important to analyse the skills lost through the four resignations to determine the skills needed and thus the right combination of people (the board) "to steer the SABC ship to calmer waters".

Concluded the statement: "We believe that an unstable SABC is a threat to democracy and socio economic development. It denies the large majority of our population the ability to receive information and to have a voice."

SABC sales director reinstated

Meanwhile, the SABC announced yesterday, Thursday 4 November that it has reinstated Nisha Jones, the sales director at its commercial enterprise division, effective 25 October 2010.

Jones was suspended on 26 March 2010 following allegations of possible acts of serious misconduct, but a thorough subsequent investigation has cleared her of all charges, and the SABC welcomes her back and wishes her well.

For more, go to www.supportpublicbroadcasting.co.za and follow @sos_za on Twitter.