I have the first official reaction and response from the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) public pressure group on the shocking, controversial, one-sided and utterly unbelievable appointment by the SABC's group executive Solly Mokoetle of Phil Molefe as the new permanent head of news and current affairs at the SABC.
The SOS is ''worried that there has been a fundamental breach of corporate governance at the SABC in terms of the appointment of the head of news [Phil Molefe],'' says the group that represents a number of trade unions including Cosatu and Fedusa, independent producer organisations and a host of NGOs, CBOs, academics and freedom of expression activists. ''
''The chair of the SABC board, dr. Ben Ngubane and the CEO Solly Mokoetle made the announcement without informing the SABC board. The appointment of the head of news however requires approval from the full SABC board,'' says the SOS in its reaction.
''The SOS sees this issue in a very serious light. Over the last few years the SABC has been dogged by a number of serious corporate governance breaches and high profile court cases. The Auditor General specifically pointed to the important need to ensure sound corporate governance and leadership from the top going forward. The SABC is under serious pressure to deliver on its public mandate, to honour its commitments to pay back the government guarantees. The SOS is calling for the following urgent action: For the SABC board to release the approved minutes of its meeting that supposedly took the decision to appoint the Head of News and for the SABC board to urgently investigate the procedures around the appointment of the head of news.''
''SOS notes that this crisis once again raises the importance of clarifying the roles of governance and oversight structures for a public broadcaster.''
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