The SABC in chaos & crisis: As the names of a new interim SABC board was blatantly bulldozed through parliament today without any public consultation or transparency to replace the decimated, then dissolved SABC board, parliament did nothing to investigate the underlaying causes of the massive meltdown and ongoing destruction of South Africa's public broadcaster.
Parliament's portfolio committee on communications tasked with oversight of the SABC refused to listen to the public pressure group, Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) today or give the civil society group representing vast interest groupings within South Africa's broadcasting and public broadcasting sphere a change to talk or do a prepared, insightful presentation.
Instead parliament's portfolio committee on communications dissolved the SABC board which self-destructed and which left the rudderless and embattled SABC without a corporate governance body and bulldozed through the committee and then through the National Asembly the pre-arranged names of the new five person interim SABC board.
Ordinary South Africans who are required to pay a TV license because it's "the right thing to do" are not getting the right thing done by government or parliament with unilateral decisions being made, and no oversight and thorough investigation being made into the massive malaise and crippling problems which is causing the growing collapse of the SABC.
"Many South Africans who wanted to contribute to the formation of a vibrant, world-class public broadcaster are now scarred and embittered people," said Marian Shinn, the Democratic Alliance's communications spokesperson today.
Marian Shinn said many of the SABC board members from the SABC board which was dissolved today, resigned "in disgust" due to political interference in the SABC board's functioning.
"Those that I spoke to yesterday said that until the laws are changed to prevent political interference, nothing would change to save the corporation from the destructive path it is on. The appointment of this interim board must be seen for what it is: a rushed, non-transparent, and inadequate affair," said Marian Shinn.
"There has not been good governance in the corporation. It has been an open play pen for corruption. You never know who to trust anymore. It has become a nightmare to work and to find out which is the best way to get it back on track."
"The SABC is almost broken because the people of calibre and ability who have been through the SABC in the past decade, trying to put it right, who have been severely wounded in the process and are unlikely to come back put it right," said Marian Shinn.
"Cope wishes to register its serious discomfort with the process followed and the undue haste to dissolve the SABC board with less than 24-hours notice," said Congress of the People member of parliament Juli Killian today.
Liezel van der Merwe, Inkatha Freedom Party member of parliament, said her party could not approve the new 5 person interim SABC board because they never even saw CV's of the nominees.
The Creative Workers Union of South Africa (CWUSA) today welcomed the resignation of the SABC board members. "We believe that the former board members have done an honourable thing to step down with dignity and allow a new search for an interim board that will serve in a manner that is in line with corporate governance," the CWUSA says in a press statement.
"We wish all of them the best in their relative roles as they go back into their different areas of expertise and spheres of national development and growth."
The SOS Coalition has called on parliament to urgently investigate the underlying problems afflicting the SABC before appointing an interim SABC board.
The Media Workers' Association of South Africa (Mwasa) says its "utterly disheartened and disappointed following the rushed hatchet job of imposing an interim board at the SABC."
"The SABC must be free from political interference. Mwasa calls on the presidency not to endorse the process followed in imposing the interim board and to indeed insist on an inclusive, consultative engagement above expediency."
The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) says a new SABC board should bring stability at the public broadcaster. "The SABC is a contested arena, and we hope the new board will provide the needed stability," says Thabo Mogalane, general secretary. He says the new board should play an oversight role and not interfere with the running of the SABC.
"We want a board that is transparent, independent and provides oversight." He said the union was confident the interim board would provide the stability needed to improve the morale of workers at the SABC.
"Where there is no stability, workers are affected negatively."
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