Parly in search of a SABC interim board

Focus on ‘fit and proper’ candidates

MPS ARE urgently looking for five qualified “fit and proper” candidates to run the SABC and be part of its interim board for the next six months.

MPs outlined the “strict criteria”, which requires whoever will be part of the SABC’s interim board to have an understanding of broadcasting and the legislation that governs it.

Candidates with a strong human resources background would also be ideal and stand a good chance of making it onto the board, MPs heard.

The communications portfolio committee yesterday met for the first time this year to discuss the appointment process of the SABC interim board.

Parliament could have names of preferred candidates by the end of this week before sending the names to the National Assembly for confirmation and then to President Jacob Zuma.

The interim board will have its work cut out for it and will have to stabilise the public broadcaster.

The meeting coincided with the SABC ad hoc committee's meeting, which also met yesterday to finalise its report.

Communications portfolio committee chairman Humphrey Maxegwana said their meeting was not to discuss names but to outline the process.

“We are not discussing names. We don’t have names. But we need people with qualifications that are relevant.

“People with legal expertise and people with knowledge of human resources. This is a space where issues of governance are very critical. Those are things that messed up the SABC,” said Maxegwana.

Maxegwana said this was a process that doesn’t require them to advertise.

ANC MP Lerumo Kalako said the interim board process was not the same as when you put in place a permanent board.

He said the matter was urgent because the SABC was functioning without a board.

“Whatever is happening at the SABC it’s only the executive that takes decisions.

“So to avoid situations, when establishing a permanent board, and there are things, steps and actions that have been taken it will be difficult to reverse. To me this is very much urgent,” said Kalako.

He called on parties to look for people who have experience in broadcasting and who understand the Broadcasting Act to “avoid problems that happened in the previous boards”.

DA MP James Selfe agreed with Kalako and other MPs on the criteria.

“We need to think about fit and proper people to serve on the board.”

He said the committee must have discussions on the criteria outlined and “who would be the suitable stewards to take the SABC for the next six months”.

He said actions taken by the executive without a board may be illegal.

“I urge this committee to proceed with appointment as rapidly as possible,” said Selfe.

EFF chief whip Floyd Shivambu agreed that the committee must appoint an interim board “as soon as possible”.

“I suggest that perhaps we subject the process of consultation of names to chief whips as a way to establish consensus on issues of common interest, instead of coming with many names here making prejudgments,” said Shivambu.

Maxegwana said the committee will look at the names and recommend them to parliament when the time comes.

Meanwhile, if all of the proposed recommendations currently being made by the ad hoc committee investigating the SABC are adopted, the interim board will have to hit the ground running.

MPs on that committee have suggested that the interim board look into claims that non-executive board members on the now defunct board were given perks like offices at the SABC and cars, and find a way to recoup the travel costs associated with 17 senior SABC staffers travelling to Cape Town in December to support their superiors during the parliamentary hearings.

The committee has now finished deliberations on the initial draft of the report.

Their input will be collated and members will meet again tomorrow to debate and adopt the report.