Pretoria - Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications has been closely monitoring developments at the SABC, including the recent appointment of the COO at the public broadcaster.
Committee Chairperson Joyce Moloi- Moropa said all matters related to the Department of Communications and its entities, including the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), will form part of the committee programme for the next term as per the Parliament programme.
“The minister [Communications Minister Faith Muthambi] assured the Committee during our last meeting that the SABC will meet their deadline (17 August 2014) to provide responses to the Public Protector's report. We therefore believe that by time we meet again with the department, all issues raised in the report would have been responded to, and we will take it from there as part of Committee oversight mandate,” she said.
The Public Protector’s report had recommended that then acting Chief Operations Officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng be removed from the post. However the acting COO was appointed permanently to the post last week.
At no stage, said Moloi-Moropa on Monday, has the committee resolved to summon the minister to appear before the committee this week.
“We have at no stage resolved to summon the Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi to appear before the Committee this week to explain her confirmation of the appointment of Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng as the permanent SABC COO. We have been dealing with the annual performance plans and budget votes since last week and this week,” she explained.
The Committee will consider all complaints and concerns raised about the state of affairs at the public broadcaster and seek clarity from both the Minister and the SABC Board.
Meanwhile, government has refuted as mischievous and misleading media reports that imply that President Jacob Zuma was involved in the appointment of Motsoeneng.
Minister Muthambi said: “It is unfortunate that the media choose to vilify the President’s name when he has absolutely no role to play in the appointment of SABC management or staff for that matter.
“I wish to reiterate that the SABC board and myself were satisfied that the report by the appointed law firm, which cleared Motsoeneng of any wrong doing, led to my confirmation of the appointment as Motsoeneng has been acting in the position for several years.
“The decision is in line with my previous commitment that stability has to be restored to the SABC as soon as possible.” – SAnews.gov.za
