The Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) Coalition, a vast public pressure group representing the massive bulk of the South African television industry including trade unions, media and academic institutes and all major film and TV production organisations is calling or the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, the SABC chairperson.
Yesterday TV with Thinus broke the news RIGHT HERE that the SOS Coalition will also be adding its voice to the increasing louder drumbeat of organisations demanding that dr Ben Ngubane step down as SABC chairperson immediately, citing the ''continuing chaos'' at South Africa's public broadcaster.
The SOS Coalition - exactly as I exclusively broke the news last week, and again more yesterday - warned that ''SOS Coalition members have resolved to embark on public protest action on Thursday, 24 November''.
The SABC didn't respond to a media enquiry made earlier today regarding the SOS Coalition's call for dr Ben Ngubane's resignation.
In a letter sent today to parliament's portfolio committee for communications, as well as to SABC board members, as well as to dr Ben Ngubane, the SOS Coalition calls ''for the resignation of dr Ben Ngubane''. The SOS Coalition also still want answers from the SABC on a litany of questions which the broadcaster said dr Ben Ngubane would answer by the end of this past Friday, but didn't.
The SOS Coalition, in its letter, asks parliament's portfolio committee for communications to please ''hold a special parliamentary hearing into the matters raised above'' so that the SABC can ''timeously answers these questions''.
So far:
- The SOS Coalition said on 25 October that they're ''disillusioned'' and ''disappointed with SABC chairperson dr Ben Ngubane.
- On the same day, 25 October, the large SABC trade union Bemawu called for the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane. Trade unions Mwasa and the CWU has now also asked for his resignation since.
- Last week South Africa's parliament, specifically the portfolio committee for communications said in its annual report that it was disappointed in the SABC and the broadcaster's ongoing financial problems.
- Yesterday the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed), a massive federation representing thousands of companies, workers, studios, interest groups and film, television and audiovisual content organisations called for the immediate resignation of dr Ben Ngubane, citing the ''continuous chaos'' at the public broadcaster.
