Sweeping superpowers has been given to the SABC board (the SABC in PR speak calls it ''latitude'') to hire at will whoever they want on executive level at the public broadcaster, immediately, and as the SABC board sees fit and according to their discretion.
Expect SABC trade unions to throw a fit about this one, as well as concern that will probably be raised by public interest groups. The beleaguered public broadcaster has trimmed its ranks of top-heavy executives the past few months. This sweeping amendment however now gives the SABC board the right to extend executives' contracts, immediately re-appoint executives and to appoint any employee of the SABC whom it deems fit at its own discresion in any executive management position.
In essence it means less oversight regarding executive appointments and more power to the SABC board (for instance in situations where chief financial officer Robin Nicholson were made acting group CEO but had to have his CFO contract extended).
Today the SABC board attended a special general meeting where this amendment as well as others were made to the SABC's ''memorandum of incorporation''. ''The proposed amendments will be registered in terms of the Companies Act with immediate effect,'' says the SABC in a late today press statement. ''Further announcements will be pronounced in this respect.''