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THE SABC Board chairperson Khanyisile Mkonza sought to alley fears that things were falling apart when she announced the appointment of Gabriel Mampone as the acting group chief executive in the place of suspended Dali Mpofu.

Making the announcements this afternoon, Mkonza said SABC employees and South Africans must not be alarmed as things would happen as usual. Mkonza said "if there are events (planned), the events will happen. Nothing will be set back by all of the developments".

She said the board agreed on the name of Mompane as the new head of the public broadcaster until there was clarity on the post of suspended GCEO Dali Mpofu. "We have decided as the board to appoint Mr Gabriel Mampone who is the head of commercial enterprises to act in the position of chief executive of the SABC," said Mkonza.

City Press had earlier reported that Mompane would be appointed this afternoon.

Mampone is previously head of SABC Africa. Mampone also previously worked as a general manager for sales and marketing.

His ascension to the SABC top post, albeit temporarily, comes in the wake of drama that saw the suspension of the SABC's news division Snuki Zikalala by Mpofu, who was himself suspended a few hours later by the board.

And while media reports have claimed the Zikalala suspension was due to the leaking of a board document, City Press can reveal that this is wrong. The document in question relates to a labour case involving a former current affairs executive producer for Lesedi FM who was fired last year and whose reinstatement Mpofu wanted Zikalala to effect.

Mpofu's suspension was confirmed by board chairperson Khanyisile Mkonza. While Mpofu was cagey with the details of Zikalala?s suspension, so was Mkonza on Mpofu's.

But City Press has established that both suspensions are related to the mooted reinstatement of a controversial radio executive producer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who has strong links to ANC president Jacob Zuma.

City Press also understands that the ANC caucus in parliament is scheduled to discuss the rumpus at the SABC tomorrow. ANC members of the portfolio committee on communications had expressed a lack of confidence in the SABC board to discharge its responsibilities three months after their appointment.

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