The embattled and commercially insolvent South African public broadcaster currently sits with an inquorate SABC board unable to sign off on any decisions after the latest spate of resignations in late-2018 rocked the beleaguered broadcaster.
This comes ahead of a national election year with high-ranking SABC insiders who last week reportedly said that the SABC doesn't have money to cover the millions of rands needed to cover the 2019 general elections.
The urgent SABC board crisis was supposed to get special attention from parliament's portfolio committee on communications early in 2019 with possible SABC board replacements that were to have been chosen before the end of January 2019 but so far nothing has been done.
"I wrote to Dr Hlengiwe Mkhize, chairperson of the committee, twice, first on 13 January and again on 15 January 2019 requesting an update on the dates set for beginning the process of filling the vacancies and have received no response from the chairperson or the members of the ANC serving on the committee," says Phumzile Van Damme.
"In November 2018, given the urgency of filling the vacancies on the SABC board, the committee resolved that the process of filling the vacancies would begin in mid-January with shortlisting of candidates and interviews in late-January."
"Currently, the SABC board is inquorate, a high-risk position for the public broadcaster to be in as it faces staff retrenchment and a cashflow crisis."
"It should be all hands on deck, with a full SABC board with the best minds working to steer the SABC to calm waters. It is clear that the filling of 8 vacancies on the SABC board is not a matter of priority for the ANC, as it has claimed," says Phumzile Van Damme in her statement.
"The Democratic Alliance stands firmly against the appointment of an interim SABC board. The process for the appointment of an interim SABC board is not as rigorous and open as it is for a permanent SABC board, political parties simply bringing names forward and an interim SABC board is constituted."
"Going into an election, this would allow the ANC space to insert individuals onto the SABC board who would be at the beck-and-call of Luthuli House. The DA wants an independent SABC board, interviewed and appointed in a process fully open to the public, and candidates' qualifications, independence and experience thoroughly assessed."
"The SABC board shortlisting, interviewing and approval by the National Assembly of a permanent SABC board must happen as a matter of high urgency, and the DA will not rest until this is done," says Phumzile Van Damme.
