Pule considers SABC board resignations
2013-03-11 13:31
Cape Town - Communications Minister Dina Pule is trying
to persuade SABC board chairperson Ben Ngubane and his deputy to withdraw their
resignations, the presidency said on Monday.
"The matter is receiving attention from the
communications department," spokesperson Mac Maharaj said.
"The minister is trying to prevail on them to
withdraw their resignations. So the matter is not at the stage yet where it has
reached the desk of the president."
The SABC reported on Monday that Ngubane and his deputy
Thami ka Plaatjie had resigned.
This followed weeks of renewed tension at the public
broadcaster after Ngubane and the board fell out over the future of acting
chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Earlier, Pule's spokesperson Sipho Qoza told SABC radio
it was up to President Jacob Zuma to decide whether to accept the resignations
or not.
"Pule has been quite concerned about the goings on
at the board at the SABC," Qoza said.
"It will depend on what the president says and what
happens to the SABC board. It will basically be determined by whether the
president accepts or declines the resignations."
Qoza could not be reached for further comment, nor could
Ngubane.
On 26 February, the broadcaster announced Motsoeneng had
been "released from his duties".
It said that Mike Siluma, a veteran journalist and head
of radio news and current affairs, had been appointed to the acting position.
But shortly after that, Ngubane was quoted in a newspaper
report as saying Motsoeneng had been reinstated. He said Ka Plaatjie had made
this decision.
This prompted the SABC board to issue a media statement
saying that "the report... is regrettable as neither the chairperson nor
the deputy chairperson nor both, have the power or authority to unilaterally
change a board resolution".
The SABC board said it would seek clarity from Ngubane
and Ka Plaatjie regarding the newspaper report.
Since then, Pule has asked Parliament to
"urgently" review the fitness of the SABC board.
Opposition parties on Monday welcomed the resignations.
"Tasked with steering the SABC board and the
organisation at large to stability and good governance, Mr Ngubane and Mr Ka
Plaatjie failed while at the helm of the board," IFP spokesperson Liezl
van der Merwe said.
Destabilising the SABC
It was clear that in the midst of an ever-growing crisis
at the public broadcaster these men had shown real leadership by taking
responsibility, she said. However, their resignations would further destabilise
the SABC.
"At this stage, the IFP is of the opinion that there
is no need for the board to be dissolved and that capable, passionate
individuals must be found to take the public broadcaster forward.
"We will need individuals who will put the interests
and the stability of the public broadcaster first."
The IFP believed it was important that all future
appointments to the SABC board were depoliticised, Van der Merwe said.
Congress of the People (Cope) spokesperson Juli Kilian
said Ngubane and Ka Plaatjie's legacy of usurping executive powers and
interfering in the corporation's daily running would haunt the broadcaster.
Ngubane would unfortunately be remembered for his
autocratic style of leadership and failure to turn the SABC around and root out
corruption and insider trading.
The implosion of the SABC board would hopefully awake the
ANC members in the communications portfolio committee to the extent of the governance
crisis at the SABC, which was largely the result of the ruling party's
political meddling and obvious attempts to turn the public broadcaster into a
state broadcaster.
"Those responsible for the chaos at the SABC should
be held accountable and if necessary criminally charged.
"The minister responsible [Pule] should take her cue
from the duo and immediately resign from office, failing which the president
should dismiss Ms Pule without further delay," Kilian said.
- SAPA
