National Assembly: 7th July 2009

Mr Speaker,

When the National Assembly adopted the motion for the dissolution of the SABC Board, it paved the way for the selection and appointment of an Interim Board to direct the affairs of the SABC until such time that a new Board has been selected.

The Portfolio Committee on Communications has deliberated on possible candidates for appointment to the Interim Board which are today presented before the National Assembly for consideration and approval. 

From the side of the IFP, we urge this House to endorse these names for appointment to the Interim Board of the SABC.

There is an urgent need to appoint this Interim Board because the SABC cannot operate without the authority of the Board when there is need to take decisions which are beyond the scope and authority of the Executive Management of the Corporation.

The other urgent task that the Interim Board has to do is to devise a turn-around strategy and stabilize the financial and managerial affairs of the Corporation.  We have no doubt that the individuals who have been selected are people of impeccable credentials who will be equal to the daunting task that lies ahead of them.  They, however, will have no magic wand; they will need to operate as a team to save the SABC from sure disaster in the interest of the whole nation.

It is true that we from the opposition parties strongly urged the ANC to nominate three out of the five names presented here, so that the opposition parties could nominate two names in the interests of inclusivity.  However, when this was not possible, we had to make do with one name in the interests of progress and the urgency of the situation.  We urge the majority party to be more flexible and accommodative when the process for selection of the permanent Board is underway in the near future.

Finally and very importantly, these people will need the support of us all for them to succeed.  We thank them for making themselves available for this unenviable task and we wish them well.

Contact: Rev Musa Zondi, 083 440 5966.