A big divide has been laid bare between the SABC board and the SABC board chairman dr. Ben Ngubane, after the SABC board came thisclose late yesterday to passing a vote of no confidence in the arrogant dr. Ben Ngubane.
It has now become clear that there is a rift and growing tension between the SABC board and dr. Ben Ngubane who, together with the SABC group CEO Solly Mokoetle, unilaterally appointed Phil Molefe as the SABC's new head of news earlier this week. It caught the SABC board by surprise who is actually supposed to take the decision, although no such decision has been put before the SABC board.
''I'll be honest with you. We, as the SABC board has agreed to not talk about what has happened or that any press statement will be issued until further notice,'' SABC board member Suzanne Vos said to me earlier this morning. Other SABC board members who I called last night, simply didn't pick up their phones. But I still have all the information, because some were willing to talk to me.
SABC insiders tell me the SABC board is ''highly irritated'' with dr. Ben Ngubane who surprised them by blatantly overriding SABC procedure and corporate governance by unilaterally instructing Solly Mokoetle to make the Phil Molefe ''appointment''. Dr. Ben Ngubane was also a blatant no show at yesterday's SABC board meeting. I was first to tell you that that might happen, yesterday morning RIGHT HERE. The SABC board which has to approve the appointment of the SABC's head of news, declared and ruled dr. Ben Ngubane and Solly Mokoetle's appointment of Phil Molefe nul and void, ''fighting back against one person who's apparently thinking that he's the SABC,'' according to a close source at the proceedings. The source said there's definitely ''a growing rift'' between most of the SABC board and dr. Ben Ngubane. In this row, that has now become very public.
I can also tell you that according to SABC board members there was a discussion to structurally change the SABC's news division by having the head of news and current affairs position, who will be above the positions of head of TV news, and head of radio news.
ALSO READ: Ben Ngubane might be a no-show at the afternoon's SABC emergency board meeting; Solly Mokoetle is in China.
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ALSO READ: Bemawu demands the ''immediate suspension'' of Ben Ngubane and Solly Mokoetle.
ALSO READ: Entire SABC abuzz over new internal power struggle.
ALSO READ: Fundamental breach of corporate governance at SABC, says public pressure group SOS.
ALSO READ: SABC board COMPLETELY bypassed in appointment of Phil Molefe as head of news.
ALSO READ: SABC appoints Phil Molefe as head of news.
ALSO READ: After more than a year . . . STILL no head of news at the SABC.
