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‘Committee should not be seen as being complicit in the collapse of SABC’

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The chairperson of Parliament’s Communications Committee, Boyce Maneli says that the committee should not be seen as being complicit in the collapse of the SABC.  

He was speaking before he closed the full Portfolio Committee meeting which endorsed the sub-committee decision to accept the independent legal opinion on the SABC Board.  

The committee met today and were briefed further by Senior Counsel Sesi Baloyi who provided the independent opinion. 

 The Committee has resolved to write to the National Assembly Speaker, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula  to advice that the resolution remains in place following the acceptance of the external legal advice.  

Maneli says, “Honourable members because we are all interested in the resolution of the problem in that we want to see the SABC working. And that we are not complicit to its collapse. We are now going to write to the Speaker as summarised and of course as I say if there are legal challenges on that, we’ll hear it when it’s put on the table, and communicated to the relevant appointing authority.” 

Subcommittee on the SABC Board vacancies:

Meanwhile, the ANC member in the Parliamentary Communications Committee, Lesiba Molala says that the SABC is in dire need of a board.

Molala says that the ANC agrees with the independent legal opinion that was sought by Parliament on behalf of the committee. The legal advice suggested that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s letter to National Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, seeking clarity over the additional three names of SABC Board candidates is grossly unlawful.

Parliament’s Legal Adviser Andile Tetyane briefed the Communications Sub-Committee on the outcome of the external opinion today. He also pointed out that cabinet accounts to Parliament and not Parliament accounting to the President and his cabinet.

Molala accepted the opinion, “Let’s agree that we proceed to take the matter back to the office of the President for finalisation. I don’t think there is a need for us to further indulge on the modalities. I think we are all clear that the matter should be referred as the resolution stated that twelve recommended. Obviously, it will be minus one who has resigned (withdrew), and the President will have an option on the reserve list and finalise this matter speedily as the SABC now is in dire need of a board.”

 

 

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