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Caiphus Kgosana

ANC MPs will urge the party caucus to ensure that their motion of no-confidence in the SABC board is passed in the National Assembly.

If this happens, the board will be at the mercy of President Thabo Mbeki.

Mbeki, who appointed the board, has the sole power to revoke its mandate, but it is highly unlikely that he will heed Parliament’s call to axe the board.

In a week of high drama in Parliament, the board came under fire from the portfolio committee on communications hearings into the budget of the public broadcaster.

ANC MPs were angered by a memo that criticised SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu.

The memo, written by board chairperson Khanyisile Mkhonza, questions Mpofu’s management style and refers to the loss of lucrative soccer broadcast rights under his watch.

On Wednesday, ANC MPs directed their guns at the board, questioning the memo and how it found its way into the press.

The MPs said the board was failing in its duties and called for its dissolution.

“It is clear the board is not in a position to execute its fiduciary duties. And we want to pass a vote of no-confidence in this board,” said ANC MP Eric Kgolwane.

Mpofu told the committee he was surprised that a memo like that had found its way into newspapers.

He said he hoped the board would give him time to respond to the allegations contained in the memo, which he said were factually incorrect. He hinted that some of the allegations could be libellous.

Mkhonza told the committee that the board was compelled to intervene in order to exercise its fiduciary duty. She appealed to the committee to give them time to perform their duties.

The board finds itself at the centre of a political storm between the ANC, its alliance partner Cosatu and Mbeki.

Cosatu says the board is not representative of those who have workers’ interests at heart and wants several members to leave.

The ANC is also reported to be in favour of a number of members, including Gloria Serobe, Christine Qunta and Andile Mbeki, recusing themselves.

ANC MP Khotso Khumalo, who sits on the portfolio committee on communications, said they would not have taken such a drastic measure without having obtained support from fellow ANC MPs.

“I don’t think the portfolio committee will act without having considered the matter seriously. We have looked at the situation and all its legalities. We have to convince caucus why it’s important that Parliament should push for dissolution of the board,” he said.

Khumalo said, should the motion be passed in Parliament, they would wait to see what the president did.

“If the president does not agree, then the board will remain as is,” he said.

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