Parliament finally decides that convicted fraudster Rubben Mohlaloga should be fired as chairperson of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa, immediately.

South Africa's parliament on Tuesday decided that the convicted fraudster, Rubben Mohlaloga, should be fired as chairperson of the country's broadcasting regulator and that he must be suspended with immediate effect from his position at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

On Tuesday parliament's portfolio committee on communications decided to finally get rid of the convicted fraudster who was sentenced to 20 years in prison n the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Courtfor money laundering and defrauding the Land Bank of R6 million, yet continues to hold the position as chairperson of South Africa's broadcasting regulator since he was appointed in December 2017.

Parliament's committee finally agreed in a long-overdue decision that "the fraud conviction is extremely serious and involves a substantial amount of public money that was appropriated for the benefit of emerging black farmers".

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications said it recommends that Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's latest minister of communications, suspend Rubben Mohlaloga immediately as Icasa chairperson,until he can be fired by parliament's Nasional Assembly.

Hlengiwe Mkhize, chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, said that "by the end of today, it will be with the National Assembly, it will be tabled".

South Africa's parliament lies and says SABC board candidates interviewed showed the required level of expertise. They didn't.

The chairperson of South Africa's parliament portfolio committee - tasked with oversight of the SABC - again lied, saying that the shortlisted SABC board candidates interviewed this week for the vacant positions at the South African public broadcaster showed the required level of expertise in different fields and that the committee has confidence in the calibre of candidates.

That's a lie.

Several of the 24 shortlisted candidates don't have the required level of expertise and they are not all a high calibre level of candidates.

There are 8 vacancies on the unstable and inquorate board of the struggling and financially battered SABC.

"We are mainly satisfied with the proportional representation with regards to gender, age and racial diversity in line with national demographics. We view the level of interest to serve on the SABC board as a sign of confidence in the entity," says Hlengiwe Mkhize, committee chairperson in a statement issued on Friday.

Hlengiwe Mkhize said the candidates demonstrated the required level of expertise in different fields, including corporate governance, law, finance, accounting, art and culture as well as journalism.

Nope.

The process of filling and appoint the SABC board is flawed and remains flawed, since the system is flawed, with politicians (and politicians want power) choosing and appointing the SABC board.

To understand the game dynamics, watch Game of Thrones on M-Net (DStv 101) and really do yourself a favour and read Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner.

You will come to understand why the situation with the ever-troubled SABC board will never change until the system - and the way that it is set up to deliver the people to that group - changes.

Let's analyse Hlengiwe Mkhize's face-value statements about the SABC board candidates.

Let's start with the "level of interest to serve on the SABC board as a sign of confidence in the entity".

Out of the total applications, roughly a third were from clueless interns looking for job training and wanting to do internships at the SABC. These 90 were discarded.

It left 233. 80 of these were actually tacked on from the previous time that vacancies on the SABC board were advertised and shortlisted earlier in 2018 and not received during December when SABC board vacancies were advertised again.

In reality, not that many people applied, and out of those who did apply a lot were young people seeking internships. That isn't a good or proper measure or indicator of either interest to serve on the SABC board or a "sign of confidence".

Next, let's look at Hlengiwe Mkhize PR assertion about the candidates demonstrating the required level of expertise in different fields.

Firstly, there was a lack under the 24 SABC board member candidates when it comes to a real background and experience in the actual business of broadcasting and journalism. Several had dubious levels of so-called "expertise".

The majority admitted to having no broadcast experience. Yet these are the 24 "best" selected out of close to 400 applications. That is bad.

Several had expressed previous support for the famously matricless and destructive fired former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng or having had done nothing when they could have, and saying at the time he was the victim and "targeted". Why were they even shortlisted?

The former SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo twice quit the SABC before, yet wants back for a third time to the SABC during an even more difficult time for the broadcaster when she couldn't cope with Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was her underling. Why was she even shortlisted?

One admitted she doesn't watch SABC television.

That's like applying at an ice-cream factory but during the job interview admitting you don't really like their product and haven't tasted it.

One wants South African viewers who don't pay their SABC TV licences cut off from seeing the South African public broadcaster.

One expressed a desire (and unknowingly editorial interference) for the SABC's SABC News division to - just like Hlaudi Motsoeneng ordered - "tell good stories".

One didn't know what digital terrestrial television (DTT) was or stood for, or what OTT (over-the-top) means.

One thought M-Net was the SABC.

After criticism parliament's communications portfolio committee backs down and will now shortlist 24 candidates for vacancies on the SABC board on Thursday.

Following criticism for wanting to first suddenly do "exit interviews" - after months of waiting - with former SABC board members before proceeding with the process to shortlist 24 and appoint 8 new SABC board members to fill urgent vacancies, parliament's portfolio committee on communications did a turn-around of its Tuesday decision and will now shortlist candidates on Thursday.

On Wednesday parliament's apparently incompetent and lazy portfolio committee on communications had a change of heart since it's decision on Tuesday to further delay the process, and said that instead of doing "exit interviews" it will now shortlist 24 candidates on Thursday.

On Tuesday parliament's portfolio committee shocked South Africa and its broadcasting industry after it said on Monday that it would list 24 candidates out of the 400 who applied but then ended up breaking its promise and not doing so.

On Wednesday the committee led by chairperson Hlengiwe Mkhize, suddenly said that "changes to parliament’s schedule means the committee would no longer conduct exit interviews with those who resigned from the current board".

It said that the names of the shortlisted candidates would be published on parliament's website and that the interviews would be conducted from 5 to 7 March.

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.

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.

South Africa's parliament and politicians abruptly scuppers the urgent shortlisting of names for empty seats on the SABC board; now suddenly wants to do 'exit interviews' with former members ... who quit months ago.

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.

South Africa's parliament dumps 90 applications to serve on the SABC board from mostly young people, applying and looking to do 'internships'.

South Africa's parliament portfolio committee dealing with applications from the public for the several vacant positions for the SABC board has had to dump 90 - from primarily young people - applying for "internships" to serve on the board of the South African public broadcaster.

Besides the 90, parliament received 233 applications - 243 of the overall total submitted during December 2018 - for the 8 SABC board vacancies.

The committee will from next week, Tuesday 26 February, begin the process of shortlisting candidates to be interviewed to fill the vacant SABC board positions.

Parliament's apparently lazy portfolio committee on communications led by chairperson Hlengiwe Mkhize has been criticised for having taken months to start the process to sift and begin interviews with shortlisted candidates for the positions.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has slammed the delay by South Africa's government and parliament's portfolio committee on communications to appoint new SABC board members for the vacancies that have existed for months, as a gross dereliction of duty, a violation of their oath of office, and "acts of treason".

The SABC, commercially insolvent, has once again been adrift rudderless for months, hovering on the brink of complete financial collapse with an unstable and inquorate SABC board, months before 9 May's national election date in an election year.

The SABC board is supposed to have 12 board members including the SABC CEO, COO and CFO, and requires 9 new ones.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications led by chairperson Hlengiwe Mkhize, 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, leaving a month to complete interviews, chose candidates and send those names for the SABC board to the National Assembly to then send the names to president Cyril Ramaphosa to ceremonially rubberstamp and approve.

Hlengiwe Mkhize blamed parliament staff for moving slowly with the administration and bureaucracy, saying on Tuesday that "it's a due process overseen by the legal department. There are steps. You can't just jump and take over."

Phumzile Van Damme from the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party said it was "a shame and an embarrassment" to blame the secretariat of the parliamentary committee for the false promises and that Hlengiwe Mkhize should take the blame.

Delay of ANC-led government and parliament's portfolio committee in appointing new SABC board a gross dereliction of duty, 'acts of treason', says Media Monitoring Africa.

Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) has slammed the delay by South Africa's government and parliament's portfolio committee on communications to appoint new SABC board members for the vacancies that have exited for months, as a gross dereliction of duty, a violation of their oath of office, and "acts of treason".

The beleaguered and unstable SABC - commercially insolvent according to the Auditor-General - continues to limp along months before the 9 May date for national elections in South Africa, with a gutted and inquorate SABC board following several resignations.

There's also been no word on when or if the SABC will get the new R3 billion bailout if needs to avoid complete financial collapse.

The lack of any actual visible progress to radically stabilise the SABC in terms of its finances, governance and management - with no real transparent communication as to what exactly is happening and not happening has led South Africa's TV and film industry to believe that the SABC is deliberately being kept unstable by the ANC-led government because of the looming national elections.

South Africa's 11th minister of communications in 11 years, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, Hlengiwe Mkhize, seem to be missing-in-action as public servants as far as their task of stabilising the SABC is concerned.

Hlengiwe Mkhize, initially set out early-January 2019 for the process of interviews with potential SABC board candidates to start.

By mid-February nothing has happened, months after the SABC board became inquorate.

"The latest action by the portfolio committee to delay the appointment of new SABC board members, not only flies in the face of their promises to expedite the process, it constitutes a gross dereliction of duty and a violation of their oath of public office," says MMA non-profit organisation and public pressure group in a statement.

"In seeking to deepen the governance crisis at the SABC, they are deliberately seeking to destabilise our public broadcaster and our democracy."

"Their actions lead to two routes: one, we have an inquorate SABC board as we approach elections, and an SABC in financial crisis."

"Two, they seek to force the remainder of the SABC board to resign so they can appoint appoint an interim SABC board of lackeys and stooges."

"Both events have a similar outcome for our public broadcaster – its collapse as a public broadcaster, and a return to a state broadcaster. The only real difference between the options is the time it takes."

"As such, and having known full well of the impending crises, these latest actions could be seen not just as a gross violation of their public oath of office, but as acts of treason," says Media Monitoring Africa.

"That public representatives can act in this manner spits in the face of all who fought for freedom in South Africa. MMA is currently exploring all legal avenues and forms of recourse to help avert an elections crisis. All South Africans should be utterly revolted at this betrayal of our democracy."

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams in a weird one-size-fits-all holding statement on Saturday said "the minister is concerned about corporate governance, given the status of the SABC board, and is consulting relevant stakeholders, including National Treasury, on the best legal approach, given the current state of affairs" following her first meeting with the government bailout team working on a possible SABC bailout deal.