The hugely disliked, widely detested and completely compromised dr Ben Ngubane (current chairperson of the SABC board) could end up facing the axe just like his counterpart, King Louis XVI of France.
The only king of France ever to be executed, King Louis XVI died on 21 January 1793 by guillotine. The people of France and the new republican government, burdened by the arrogance of the French court wanted democracy and inclusive leadership. Sounding familiar to lets say a situation at the SABC? After dr Ben Ngubane was appointed as the new SABC chairperson, he was initially (just like King Louis XVI) liked and welcomed. He was perceived as someone who would help to clean up the South African public broadcaster mired in mismanagement, debt, and alleged self-enriching corruption by many working there – just like the French court over three centuries ago. But it was not to be.
The similarities between dr Ben Ngubane refusing to step down as chairperson of the SABC and now desperately clinging onto power and King Louis XVI who eventually lost his head, are as striking as they are remarkable. Click on READ MORE below as I list several uncanny similarities between the ''reign'' of both!
When dr Ben Ngubane went and secretly ordered his field marshall – the new and also initially liked SABC group CEO Solly Mokoetle – to ''appoint'' Phil Molefe as the permanent head of news at the SABC, Ngubane blatantly flouted the SABC's corporate governance rules and policies and lost all credibility. Dr Ben Ngubane has now turned into a pariah and a big liability for the SABC in a matter of months. Not only does the majority of the SABC board now want him gone (as well as wanting to get rid of his sheriff Solly Mokoetle who does his bidding), but so does the entire South African TV industry. Just like the French uprising the South African broadcasting community now has two choice words for dr Ben Ngubane: Fire him!
King Louis XVI: He succeeded to the throne in 1774 with enormous responsibility: France was deeply in debt, resentment towards the monarchy was on the rise.
Dr Ben Ngubane: He became the chairperson of the SABC in December 2009 with enormous responsibility: The SABC was deeply in debt, resentment towards the South African public broadcaster was on the rise.
Dr Ben Ngubane: The SABC still has enormous influence as a public broadcaster and has the most watched TV channels in South Africa. The SABC's disastrous experiment of an international news channel, SABC News International is ended under his tenure and foreign news bureaus are shut down. The SABC's reach is slowly waning with the introduction of a new pay TV operator TopTV, MultiChoice's hugely popular DStv Compact bouquet, growing community television stations and the growing uptake of broadband internet services. The SABC regime comes under immense strain by the general populus to deliver on its mandate of being a public broadcaster.
King Louis XVI: Unpopular decisions shocked and angered the French court and they rejected several of his plans. His wrong decisions signaled that he'd lost the ability and credibility to rule effectively.
Dr Ben Ngubane: Unpopular decisions shocked and angered the SABC board and they rejected his plans as ''null and void''. His wrong decisions signaled that he'd lost the ability to lead the SABC effectively and lost all credibility within the South African broadcasting community.
King Louis XVI: Regarded with contempt after having lost all respect for him, noble members of France's Estates refused to remove their hats in his presence (so the King humbly removed his).
Dr Ben Ngubane: Regarded with contempt after having lost all respect for him, the majority of SABC board members are no longer on speaking terms with him except when he does show at board meetings which are often canceled. He yet has to humbly remove his hat. In fact he lashed out just this past week and blamed the SABC board for the ''paralysis'' gripping the SABC.
King Louis XVI: There's new loans to fight new wars, while his war generals concealed the crisis from the public by explaining only that ''ordinary revenues exceeded ordinary expenses'' without mentioning or focusing on the loans. Later new taxes were levied.
Dr Ben Ngubane: New loans to bail out the broadcaster were granted after the SABC went begging just before Ngubane took office. In July Solly Mokoetle approved World Cup bonuses to workers while the SABC is still in debt. The SABC is still pursuing a change of the current SABC licence fees revenue system to one whereby indirectly levied tax/SABC licence fees form part of personal income tax.
King Louis XVI: A growing environment of fear - On 27 August 1791 other governments together with French aristocrats issue the Declaration of Pillnitz, threatening vague but severe consequences if anything should happen to the king.
Dr Ben Ngubane: A growing environment of fear - Public broadcasting pressure groups such as the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) sees growing government interference in the public broadcaster, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), and proposed possible Information Protection Bills by government as dangerous attempts to undermine the sovereignty of institutions like the SABC. Dr Ben Ngubane is further generally seen as a political appointment of, and with strong ties to, president Jacob Zuma.
Dr Ben Ngubane: Under his ''reign'' the SABC still owes MILLIONS to independent television producers after multiple empty promises over many months leading to huge resentment under, and retrenchments in, the local TV production industry. According to fact the SABC imposes fines on independent producers for alleged ''lost assets'', wants them to complete intricate asset registers before they can be paid, and says . . . ''focus on the positive''. And remember last year's hunger strike by actors and producers?
King Louis XVI: While the ruling aristocracy continues to wear their finest garments the Third Estate was required to wear plain, oppressively somber black.
Dr Ben Ngubane: Take a look at what protesters wore when they literally stormed the ''Bastille'' – the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters last year . . .
King Louis XVI: In 1972 formerly loyal French soldiers start deserting en masse.
Dr Ben Ngubane: In August 2010 SABC board member Barbara Masekela resigns, with promises from the SABC board that more resignations will follow.
King Louis XVI: Stripped of all titles on 21 January 1793, he's beheaded at the Place de la Concorde.
Dr Ben Ngubane: Where we are now is that the entire SABC board has been called to appear before parliament's portfolio committee for communications on Tuesday, August 24 in Cape Town to explain the impasse between dr Ben Ngubane and the SABC board.
