by Thinus Ferreira
Today, 15 November 2022, marks a month that South Africa's struggling public broadcaster is coasting rudderless without a SABC board, due to the laziness and dysfunctional portfolio committee on communications in South Africa's parliament who failed to do their job, with the latest excuse being that the South African police's fingerprint system has a problem.
Shockingly, there is no indication, notification or guidance from parliament's portfolio committee chairperson Boyce Maneli, on when it plans to sit and make a final shortlist of 12 people and to essentially "appoint" a new SABC board.
Boyce Maneli shamelessly lied and said a new SABC board would be recommended by the end of October and no later than the beginning of November. It's now mid-November.
The term of the previous SABC board expired on 15 October with parliament's portfolio committee on communications, supposed to shortlist and send a list of names to the general assembly to be rubberstamped by president Cyril Ramaphosa, who were warned in time but failed to start in time to do interviews to make appointments to a new SABC board.
Public Interest SA, an independent civic body, warns that the delay in appointing a new SABC board could seriously destabilise the South African public broadcaster and lead to a catastrophic situation.
Boyce Maneli from parliament's portfolio committee on communications is trying to blame the committee's failure on the State Security Agency (SSA) who is claimed to be "slow" in vetting the shortlisted 34 candidates who were interviewed for board positions in September.
It's however the committee members who were warned and knew full well that they had to start the process, who waited too long and left the process too late.
The vetting of four candidates is still outstanding.
Now Boyce Maneli is also blaming the South African police service, saying that according to the SSA, there is an issue and problem with the police's fingerprint system which is used in the vetting process.
Diane Kohler Barnard, Democratic Alliance MP, in parliament, said "The SABC has sat for months with no board and the State Security Agency is being blamed yet we're given a minuscule amount to do the vetting of the 34 final candidates".
Vuyani Pambo, Economic Freedom Fighters MP, said "While we are gathered here the SABC is still without a board since the term of its board expires. This is the most serious indicator of the dysfunctionality of this parliament".
