Following criticism for wanting to first suddenly do "exit interviews" - after months of waiting - with former SABC board members before proceeding with the process to shortlist 24 and appoint 8 new SABC board members to fill urgent vacancies, parliament's portfolio committee on communications did a turn-around of its Tuesday decision and will now shortlist candidates on Thursday.
On Wednesday parliament's apparently incompetent and lazy portfolio committee on communications had a change of heart since it's decision on Tuesday to further delay the process, and said that instead of doing "exit interviews" it will now shortlist 24 candidates on Thursday.
On Tuesday parliament's portfolio committee shocked South Africa and its broadcasting industry after it said on Monday that it would list 24 candidates out of the 400 who applied but then ended up breaking its promise and not doing so.
On Wednesday the committee led by chairperson Hlengiwe Mkhize, suddenly said that "changes to parliament’s schedule means the committee would no longer conduct exit interviews with those who resigned from the current board".
It said that the names of the shortlisted candidates would be published on parliament's website and that the interviews would be conducted from 5 to 7 March.
The unstable SABC board is currently inquorate, South Africa is in a national election year with the election day and run-up to 8 May that the SABC and SABC News must cover - and with the public broadcaster once again hovering on the edge of a financial cliff.
Urgent intervention to try and right-size the SABC is very long overdue.
Parliament's apparently lazy portfolio committee on communications has been criticised for having taken months to start the process to sift and begin interviews with shortlisted candidates for the positions.
Parliament's portfolio committee on communications lied, saying it would return in early-2019, and then lied again to the South African public saying it would start the process of interviews in mid-January. Neither happened.
Parliament's current term ends on 20 March.
