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THE SABC has appointed head of TV news Amrit Manga as the acting head of the public broadcaster's news division after the suspension of Snuki Zikalala.

The announcement was made by SABC board chairperson Khanyi Mkhonza during an interview on Morning Live this morning. Zikalala was suspended pending an investigation into charges of leaking confidential information to the media.

Mkhonza said commercial enterprises executive Gabriel Mampone, who replaced SABC GCEO Dali Mpofu on an acting capacity, will continue with the probe into the conduct of Zikalala, who was suspended by Mpofu on Tuesday.

Mpofu was suspended by the board a day later for his action on Zikalala and apparently defying the board.

Mkhonza reiterated that SABC employees and South Africans should not be alarmed as things would happen as usual.

She said "if there are events (planned), the events will happen. Nothing will be set back by all of the developments".

Yesterday, 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 the suspended Mpofu. Mampone was appointed yesterday afternoon as reported by City Press.

Mampone is previously head of SABC Africa. He also previously worked as a general manager for sales and marketing. Manga on the other hand, has worked for the Sowetan for a long time. Before that, he worked for the Labour Bulletin with Zikalala.

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.

The ANC caucus in Parliament is scheduled to discuss the rumpus at the SABC today. 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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