SABC bill welcomed
2008-08-14 19:04
Cape Town - The Broadcasting Amendment Bill will allow for the current "unrepresentative" SABC board to be removed, the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Thursday.
The bill, approved by the National Assembly's communications committee on Wednesday, provides, among other things, for the Assembly to play a major role in removing board members from office.
Cosatu said in a statement the bill "paves the way for the removal of the unrepresentative board which was appointed by President [Thabo] Mbeki immediately after the ANC national conference in Polokwane".
He had done this "in the teeth of strong opposition from Cosatu and a wide range of civil society organisations who condemned the new board, which was dominated by business interests and did not contain any trade unionists or working journalists".
Cosatu said "the passing of the bill is a triumph for democracy", and a victory for Cosatu and all its allies in the "Save our SABC" campaign.
The bill has yet to be approved by the Assembly, before it goes to the National Council of Provinces for concurrence and to Mbeki for signature.
- SAPA