President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced the names of the newly appointed SABC Board members on Tuesday.
The past weekend marked exactly six months since the public broadcaster has been without a sitting board.
One of the twelve candidates Frans Kruger has already withdrawn. Former Group Executive of News & Current Affairs Phathiswa Magopeni and former SABC News staff Mpho Tsedu are among the board members.
The newly appointed members will serve on the board for the next five years. Khathutshelo Ramukumba has been named Chairperson, with Nomvuyiso Batyi serving as the Deputy Chairperson of the board.
“In terms of section 13(1) of the Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No.4 of 1999) as amended, appointed the following persons as non-executive members of the Board of SABC for five years effective from the date of the publication of notice in the government gazette,” reads the statement.
“The SABC is a vital institution of our constitutional democracy. I trust the newly appointed board members will work hard at ensuring that South Africa continues to benefit from a stable, independent and effective national public broadcaster, ” says Ramaphosa.
Below are the names of the newly appointed board members:
Dr. Renee Horne;
Adv Tseliso Thipanyane;
Mr Khathutshelo Ramukumba;
Ms. Nomvuyiso Batyi;
Ms Phathiswa Magopeni;
Ms. Aifheli Makhwanya;
Ms Magdalene Moonsamy;
Ms. Rearabetsoe Motaung;
Mr. David Maimela;
Mr Dinkwanyane Mohuba;
Mr Mpho Tsedu; and
Ms Palesa Kadi.
The President has been criticised for delaying the appointment of the board, with some organisations taking the President to Constitutional Court.
Mammoth task
The Director of Media Monitoring Africa, William Bird, has expressed relief at the appointment of the SABC board. He does, however, state that the incoming board faces a mammoth task in stabilising the public broadcaster, which has been without a board for more than six months.
“It’s a huge relief obviously that they have finally been appointed. That said you know I don’t envy the new board. I think it’s going to be a baptism of fire. They gonna have to work around the clock to try and stabilise and look at the finances and make sure that they can comply with all the legal requirements etc. And I think you know we also need to work to make sure that this can’t happen again. So, we have been really concerned about how this matter has been handled by the President,” Bird explains.
