SABC could scrap licences

Committee told fees keep part of population away

A former top National Treasury official who is vying for one of the vacant seats on the board of the SABC had proposed that TV licence fees be scrapped.

Michael Sass, who was one of the 11 candidates interviewed by the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on communications yesterday, also told MPs that his strong corporate governance background put him in good stead to be considered for a seat on the SABC board of directors.

Asked by the chairman of the committee, Humphrey Maxegwana, what funding model he would implement at the cash-strapped public broadcaster, Sass said he would do away with TV licence fees.

“In my view we shouldn’t have licence fees because that is a barrier to some of our people. It’s very important to communicate with the public out there. I would advocate that we make much more use for things like libraries to give people more access to programmes,” said Sass.

“I would do away with licence fees completely, but not immediately, it would happen over time.”

The first candidate to be interviewed was lawyer Leanne Govindsamy, who impressed some members with her understanding of legal matters.

“I bring [a] particular skill set to complement others on the board,” Govindsamy told the committee.

Then Rufus Kharidzha, the former chairman of the Limpopo Tourism Board, was next. He was grilled by MPs over the dodgy transfer of donor funds to a bank account of a relative while he worked for the University of Venda.