Pretoria - The National Press Club has congratulated the newly elected SABC Group Chief Executive Officer Solly Mokoetle.
"We congratulate Solly Mokoetle on his appointment as the new CEO of the SABC. We are pleased that this very important position has finally been filled," said Yusuf Abramjee chairperson of the Press Club.
The public broadcaster announced his appointment in a statement issued on Tuesday.
The Press Club said it hoped his five-year appointment, which is effective from 1 January 2010, as well as President Jacob Zuma's appointment of a new board will be able to turn the SABC around and make it a credible and efficient.
"Mokoetle has an excellent track record. He is known to be a strong leader. We hope he cleans up the SABC without delay. The public broadcaster has a very important role to fulfill and we wish Mokoetle and his team well," said Abramjee.
He also called on Mokoetle and the new board announced by the President yesterday to appoint a credible, independent head of news and current affairs person without delay.
"The SABC needs someone who will make sound editorial judgments without being influenced from outside.
"Unfortunately, this position has been politically tainted over the years. It's time for change. One of Mokoetle's first tests will be to see whether he makes the right appointment," said Abramjee.
He said the SABC has been making news for all the wrong reasons for far too long - instead of providing South Africans with news.
"We hope this is going to change very quickly. Those who have been draining the broadcaster financially through wrongdoing must be brought to book," he said.
