Fire Faith and suspend Hlaudi‚ DA urges ANC

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday greeted the African National Congress’ (ANC) about-turn on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) “with much scepticism”.

“The summoning of Communications Minister Faith Muthambi and the SABC board to Luthuli House will not solve the public broadcaster’s problems‚” said the DA’s Phumzile Van Damme.

“It is likely to result in another whitewash as evidenced by Gwede Mantashe’s ‘Gupta probe’.

“If the ANC is serious about fixing problems at the SABC‚ it would have at its press conference yesterday‚ called on the government to take steps that would set the SABC on a path to recovery.”

Van Damme noted too that the “board does not report to Luthuli House‚ it accounts to Parliament‚ and their summoning to Luthuli House constitutes an infringement on the principle of the separation of party and state”.

She said her party had complied a list of “16 things to set the SABC on a path to recovery”:

- Suspend COO‚ Hlaudi Motsoeneng‚ and institute an independent and impartial disciplinary inquiry into his fitness to hold office;

- Suspend the SABC’s non-executive board members and chairperson Mbulayeni Maguvhe for failing in their duties to hold the SABC’s management accountable;

- Suspended acting CEO‚ and CFO of the SABC‚ James Aguma for providing financial backing for Motsoeneng’s censorship project;

- Drop the disciplinary charges against the SABC staffers suspended for speaking out against Motsoeneng;

- Advertise the positions of SABC COO and CFO requiring suitably qualified and impartial broadcasting professionals to head the SABC;

- Allow the Portfolio Committee on Communications to interview candidates to serve as an interim board until a new board is appointed;

- Provide full disclosure for the reasons for the suspension of SABC CEO Frans Matlala in November 2015;

- Reverse the approval of the SABC’s revised editorial policy — which gives SABC COO total control over the public broadcaster — and conduct public consultation;

- Drop the Supreme Court of Appeal petition appealing the Western Cape High Court’s decision that found that Motsoeneng’s appointment as COO was irrational and unlawful and thus set it aside;

- Implement the remedial action required by the public protector;

- Reverse the ban on the airing of footage of violent protests;

- Reverse the ban on the reading of newspaper headlines on SABC radio and TV stations;

- Reverse the canning of “The Editors” on SAFM;

- Reverse the canning of “Kommentaar” on RSG;

- Commit to providing equitable and fair coverage of all political parties on SABC stations ahead of the local government election; and

- Fire Faith Muthambi for failing to conduct proper oversight over the SABC.

Failure to implement these would mean that the words of Jackson Mthembu‚ who held Tuesday’s ANC briefing “will be nothing but hot air”‚ Van Damme said.

“The ANC’s sudden awakening to the chaos at the SABC is bizarre and should be met with much scepticism considering they are on record backing Motsoeneng and much of his censorship.

“Motsoeneng is because of the ANC.” – Tiso Black Star Group Digital