YCL takes swipe at SABC board
2007-12-22 19:25
Johannesburg - The newly-appointed SABC board has a political agenda, the Young Communist League of South Africa (YCL) charged on Saturday.
"... We do not take seriously this newly announced board, given that it was meant to serve a particular political interest and agenda," the YCL said in a statement.
"The YCL view these new appointments as part of legitimising the interference by certain individuals within the (African National Congress) leadership echelons who had undermined the Parliamentary democratic process."
President Thabo Mbeki announced the appointment of the 12-member board on Saturday just before going on leave.
Old board member Khanyisile Mkhonza was named as chair, succeeding Eddie Funde who was nominated and shortlisted but withdrew citing a heavy workload.
Deputy fierce Mbeki supporter
Mkhonza will be deputised by controversial lawyer Christina Qunta, a fierce Mbeki supporter and Aids dissident who held the same position on the old board. She had been widely tipped for the top job.
Also appointed to the new Board were: Independent Electoral Commission chief executive Pansy Tlakula, businesswoman Gloria Serobe, former presidential spokesperson Bheki Khumalo and businessman Peter Vundla.
Other members are: Ashwin Trikamjee, Alison Gilwald, Andile Mbeki, Fadila Lagadien, Nadia Bulbulia and Desmond Golding.
The YCL said the board did not represent critical constituencies of South Africa including the working class, organised labour, youth and other civil society representatives.
In this it echoed the concerns of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), which has also slammed the appointments.
Like Cosatu, the YCL wants the board appointments referred back to Parliament for reconsideration.
New board unrepresentative - Cosatu
Cosatu has called for an urgent meeting about the board with the leaders of its partners in the tripartite alliance - the ANC and South African Communist Party.
The new board was unrepresentative of South African society, Cosatu spokesperson Patrick Craven said in a statement.
Cosatu was one of a number of organisations which objected to the new board when its members were first named in a contentious list of nominees approved by the National Assembly in October.
No changes were made, despite a written request to Mbeki to refer the list back for reconsideration.
Craven said on Saturday that the new board was biased in favour of black economic empowerment business.
There was no trade union representation and none from the media even though a highly respected trade union leader and experienced journalists had been shortlisted.
Public v state broadcaster
The Broadcasting Act required the inclusion of people with expertise and experience in social and labour issues representing a broad cross-section of the country's population, Craven pointed out.
"Cosatu is... concerned that the new board will not tackle the serious problem of the public broadcaster being used to promote government policies and stifle the views of those with different views, rather than (as) a vehicle for the whole spectrum of opinions.
"A representative board is essential to ensure that the SABC remains a public broadcaster and not a state broadcaster," he said.
- SAPA