In a shocking (not shocking) display of ineptitude regarding the struggling SABC as well as apparently sheer parliamentary incompetence, the South African government on Tuesday abruptly halted the shortlisting of the 24 candidates it still said on Monday it would shortlist on Tuesday to interview for the vacant seats on the SABC, with politicians that now first want to do exit interviews with the former SABC board members who had resigned ... months ago.
How badly South African politicians and parliament's portfolio committee on communications, entrusted with doing so-called "oversight" of the South African Broadcasting Corporation work (don't work) was once again laid bare on Tuesday in a jaw-dropping display of politician incompetence you won't find in any professional corporate environment.
On Monday, parliament's portfolio committee on communications - supposed to look after the crumbling and commercially insolvent SABC - said it would shortlist on Tuesday the 24 candidates who will be interviewed for SABC board vacancies after Mathatha Tsedu, Krish Naidoo, Khanyisile Kweyama and John Mattison quit months ago in December 2018.
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.
On Monday parliament said the shortlisted 24 candidates would be interviewed from 5 to 7 March with the names of the 8 best candidates recommended to the Nasional Assembly and president Cyril Ramaphosa before parliament shutters for the national election in 3 weeks' time.
Cue Tuesday - and trash.
Parliament's portfolio committee on communications in a statement suddenly said it "has resolved to put on hold the shortlisting of 24 candidates who were going to be interviewed to fill the 8 vacancies at the board of the SABC".
"Given the history of challenges at the SABC board, the committee decided to conduct exit interviews with those who resigned from the current board."
"The remaining 4 non-executive members in the current SABC board will be invited to provide progress reports on investigations into SABC board member Dinkwanyane Mohuba's qualifications (also known as Kgalema Mohuba), the turnaround strategy, labour relations issues and progress with implementing the recommendations of the ad hoc committee. The exit interviews will be conducted on 5 March 2019."
Hlengiwe Mkhize, chairperson of the committee, didn't say why parliament now suddenly wants to do exit interviews with long-departed SABC board members who had left months ago. Exit interviews are done immediately before people leave employment or immediately after - not months later.
Hlengiwe Mkhize didn't say why, if exit interviews are to take place, why this can't happen in parallel with the process of shortlisting, interviewing and appointing new SABC board members which are urgently needed to stabilise the SABC.
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.
