Qunta remains SABC deputy chair

2007-12-22 13:47

Johannesburg - Controversial lawyer Christina Qunta has retained her position as deputy chairperson of the SABC board.

President Thabo Mbeki announced the public broadcaster's new 12-member board on Saturday, just before he embarked on his annual leave.

Considered a fierce Mbeki supporter and Aids dissident, Qunta had been tipped to head the board.

However, the position of chairperson went to Khanyisile Mkhonza, who succeeds Eddie Funde. He was nominated and shortlisted, but withdrew citing a heavy workload.

Named as Board members were: Independent Electoral Commission chief executive Pansy Tlakula, businesswoman Gloria Serobe, former presidential spokesperson Bheki Khumalo and businessman Peter Vundla.

Also appointed the board were Ashwin Trikamjee, Alison Gilwald, Andile Mbeki, Fadila Lagadien, Nadia Bulbulia and Desmond Golding.

Original list not changed

There were no changes to the original list of names put forward to Mbeki in October, despite objections by labour and civil society organisations.

They had asked him to send the list back to the National Assembly for reconsideration.

"If the people whose names appear on the current list are appointed, a pall will hang over the SABC for the next five years, which may do untold damage to the broadcaster," they warned in a letter to Mbeki.

The critics included the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), the Media Workers' Association of SA, the National Council of Trade Unions, the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the SA NGO Coalition.

They argued that the list did not fulfil Broadcasting Act requirements and objected to the inclusion of six members of the old Board, claiming Lagadien, Qunta, Gilwald, Trikamjee, Mbeki and Mkhonza had demonstrated they were unfit for re-appointment.

The African National Congress and Democratic Alliance (DA) backed the nomination of Bulbulia, Gilwald, Vundla, Khumalo, Lagadien, Mkhonza, Tlakula and Trikamjee.

All of the eight except Khumalo also received the support of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

The DA and IFP opposed the appointment of Qunta and Serobe.

The new board was appointed with effect from January 1 for a period of five years.

- SAPA