Minister steps into SABC fray

2008-06-03 20:15

Cape Town - The procedures of appointing the SABC's board are to be reviewed, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri said on Tuesday.

Speaking in Parliament during debate on her budget vote, she said there had been a national debate about the SABC as a result of views that emerged out of the Assembly's communications committee hearings.

"A very positive outcome of this has been a national focus on what our national broadcaster should be; what it should do to meet the needs of all and not some; and how it should be governed," she said.

It was evident that the executive and parliament would have to review the legislation and appointing processes, the minister said.

It was necessary to ascertain whether this legislation, drawn up at a particular historical time, was relevant to the current historical conjuncture.

Clarification

"The powers given to the appointing authority, the processes of appointing and removing the board members, the public broadcaster's charter and the role of the executive and or parliament, clearly need reviewing without sacrificing the broadcaster's independence, but clarifying the nature, content and form of that independence," she said.

Matsepe-Casaburri said she had therefore requested reports from the board and management to assess serious internal problems and in respect of relations between the board and management.

"I suggest that the parliamentary committee consider leading a public hearings process on the public broadcaster best suited to our emerging democracy and the findings will inform our legislative processes in the department."

The findings of both these processes would inform the replacement or review of the current legislation regarding the SABC.

The department had already embarked on a thorough study of the current legislation, she said.

- SAPA