SABC Chairperson must resign for pro-ANC remarks
SABC non-executive chairperson Ms Ellen Tshabalala must immediately resign over the ANC-partisan speech she made in KwaZulu-Natal last Friday, urging South Africans not to vote for opposition parties on May 7 (see report).
Her reported remarks seriously undermine the political neutrality of the public broadcaster, which she heads.
Media reports state that Ms Tshabalala told a housing handover event in KwaMashu that they must support the governing party. She is quoted as saying: "This government knows where it is going; it has a history. Do not follow [other] political parties; you do not know where they are going."
These remarks further illustrate Ms Tshabalala's unsuitability for the post as chairperson of the SABC board. President Zuma appointed her interim chairperson a year ago and then, when the new board was established in October last year, he appointed her as chairperson.
During her tenure the board approved the ethically and financially dubious deal for SABC's 24-hour news and entertainment channels to be flighted on DSTv.
Earlier this year, she automatically leapt to the defence of SABC's executive management that was exposed by PWC's skills audit for being without the required qualifications, experience and strategic management skills for their posts.
Instead of taking the skills audit findings seriously, she publicly stated that the report should have been 'doctored' before it was presented to Parliament's portfolio committee on communications.
This was followed in February by remarks in the Public Protector's report "When Governance and Ethics Fail" that the SABC board "appears to have blindly sprung" to acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng's defence.
The Public Protector said that the board's submission "appeared to be more defensive on his behalf than himself".
When the Public Protector met Ms Tshabalala on February 14 she admitted that the submission was prepared by her lawyer who had been assisting the SABC before her appointment, and she considered it unnecessary to involve the current board members in the submission.
The Public Protector then proceeded to explain to Ms Tshabalala what her responsibilities as board chairperson were regarding the corporate governance and ethical challenges highlighted in the report and explained to her the role of executive chairperson.
Efforts to get Ms Tshabalala to come before Parliament's portfolio Committee to explain her remarks about the skills audit and then criticism of her in the Public Protector's report, failed before the parliamentary term expired.
It is clear from her most recent remarks in support of the ANC that, despite the Public Protector's guidance, Ms Tshabalala is still unable to grasp the basic responsibilities of her position.
I call on her to resign immediately and apologise to South Africans for her remarks. Failing that I will write to the President asking him to remove her from office.
Statement issued by Marian Shinn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, March 24 2014
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