The SABC in chaoss & crisis: The beleaguered SABC's board - all but decimated by en masse resignations leaving only one person left - was officially dissolved as expected today in parliament after a conflict-riddled emergency meeting of parliament's portfolio committee on communications with a new interim SABC board bulldozed through.
The SABC board - ripped apart the past 14 days after vicious public infighting between the SABC board and the minister of communications, Dina Pule and the SABC board members between themselves as with its chairperson dr. Ben Ngubane - was officially dissolved in parliament today following the recommendation of the dissolution of the SABC board to the National Assembly in terms of s15A(3) of the Broadcasting Amendment Act 4 of 2009.
The names of a brand-new interim SABC board was quickly bulldozed through the portfolio committee on communications which held an emergency meeting about the SABC in parliament today, and then chairperson Eric Kholwane of the portfolio committee nominated and read out the names of the recommended new interim SABC board members in the National Assembly.
Ellen Tshabalala as SABC chairperson, Noluthando Gasa as deputy chairperson who was an SABC board member but resigned this past weeked, Ronny Lubisi, Iraj Abedian and Vusi Mavuso were "recommended" by Eric Kholwane in the National Assembly.
This five person interim SABC board will be the new temporary SABC board who will get to work with SABC CEO Lulama Makhobo and of course the SABC's famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng - who is or isn't the acting chief operating officer at the moment (nobody knows).
Parliament and the portfolio committee on communications either had to go the long route (which would take too long since the SABC's corporate governance is in total meltdown) and slowly appoint new SABC board members to fill the massive number of gaps which requires public consultation, or dissolve the entire SABC board.
The Broadcasting Act makes it possible to dissolve the entire SABC board and appoint an interim SABC board for a temporary 6 month basis - a process that does not require consultation.
This is exactly what happened today.
This new 5 person team is now going to be the new interim SABC board.
Dr. Ben Ngubane, Thami Ka Plaatjie, Patricia Makhesha, Lumko Mtide, John Danana, Cedric Gina, Desmond Golding, Cawe Mahlati, Suzanne Vos, Pippa Green and Claire O'Neil ...
... have now been replaced by Ellen Tshabalala, Noluthando Gasa (who is back after she just resigned and clearly didn't want to be there!), Ronny Lubisi, Iraj Abedian and Vusi Mavuso.
Which creates one more question among the countless unanswered questions about the ongoing and massive malaise afflicting the SABC.
Who the hell are these people?
