PARLIAMENT, October 13 (ANA) – A parliamentary inquiry into the fitness of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to hold office would start next week, the legislature’s portfolio committee on communications said.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the committee said the inquiry would start on October 19 and would be done in terms of section 15A of the Broadcasting Act which empowers MPs to dissolve a board following due inquiry.
“The Committee has agreed unanimously among the various parties that there are serious challenges with the current Board and that intervention is needed. It further believes that the challenges have been exacerbated by the resignations of two non-executive members of the Board during a Committee meeting last week,†the statement said.
“Through the office of its Chairperson, Mr Humphrey Maxegwana, the Committee is now writing to the remaining members of the Board, those who resigned and others who might provide critical information to inform them of the forthcoming inquiry.â€
At a meeting of the committee last week, it resolved to ask the board members to resign, failing which an inquiry would be conducted.
The committees’ resolution came after board chairman Obert Maguvhe and acting group chief executive officer James Aguma defended their decision to appoint the ever controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng to the senior post of chief executive for corporate affairs.
The appointment came after the Supreme Court of Appeal would not entertain an appeal of a high court decision invalidating his appointment as chief operating officer.
Later, two board members broke ranks with Maguvhe and the rest of the board, telling the MPs they would quit and called for the dissolution of the board.
A day after the committee resolution, Maguvhe held a media conference in Johannesburg where he accused MPs of trying to bully him and fellow board members to resign, insisting he won’t be quitting his post.
“In order for me to not keep you in suspense, let the inquiry come. I’m ready for it so it means I’m going nowhere,†a defiant Maghuve said at the time.
– African News Agency (ANA)
