ANC uses majority to force appointment of ANC cadres on SABC Board

5 September 2017

Today the ANC was given an opportunity to give the SABC a new start but instead of doing so, it chose to use their majority to force unsuitable candidates onto the SABC board.

Following deliberations in the Portfolio Committee on Communications, the following 12 names will be forwarded to the National Assembly for approval to serve on the permanent SABC Board:

Khanyisile Kweyama

Mathata Tsedu

Michael Markovitz

Mathatha Tsedu

Nomvuyiso Batyi

Rachel Kalidass

Dikwanyane Mohuba

Bongumusa Makhathini

Victor Rambau

John Mattison

Krish Naidoo

Febe Potgieter-Gqubule

The DA and other opposition parties strongly objected to the re-deployment of ANC cadres, Krish Naidoo and Febe Potgieter-Gqubule to the SABC Board.

During the interview, Potgieter-Gqubule revealed that she might be running for the ANC NEC, if nominated. Naidoo is currently employed as an ANC legal adviser in Luthuli House.

Dikwanyane Mohuba and Bongumusa Makhathini also appear to have questionable connections to the ANC. Mohuba did not allay suspicions of his closeness to former ANC Limpopo Chair, Cassel Mathale, and Makhathini currently serves as the Chairperson of the foundation of President Jacob Zuma’s wife, Bongi Ngema-Zuma.

Despite the best efforts of the DA and other opposition parties in the Committee, it seems as though cadre-deployment is yet again set to return to the SABC.

Cadre-deployment is at the heart of the SABC’s problems and has been the main reason for the disintegration of the public broadcaster.

The ANC has through this process was given another chance to give the SABC a fresh start without cadre deployment, and has again, failed to put the country and its public broadcaster above the ANC.

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, 5 September 2017