Parly hears of ‘toxic’ board

Deputy Minister of Communications Tandi Mahambehlala yesterday called on MPs to institute a parliamentary inquiry into the fitness of the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) board to hold office.

“The portfolio committee must in the same way you did with the SABC, intervene on issues of the MDDA,” Mahambehlala said, referring to the inquiry into the SABC board to hold office.

Mahambehlala and her boss, Ayanda Dlodlo, were briefing parliament’s portfolio committee on communications. They said the performance at the MDDA was “dismal” as there was infighting between the current three-member board, including board chairperson Phelisa Nkomo and acting chief executive Donald Liphoko.

Dlodlo said the relationship between the CEO and Nkomo was “non-existent” and had led to the MDDA meeting only 33% of its targets in the first quarter of this financial year.

“Somewhere, somehow, something has to give,” the minister said. “The chairperson at this point does not have the confidence of the acting chief executive, neither does the chairperson have the confidence of staff.”

While Dlodlo was more circumspect, Mahambehlala accused Nkomo of bullying Liphoko and other staff.

Referring to the board decision to fire Liphoko and lock him out of his office before he was rehired at the request of Dlodlo, Mahambehlala inferred he was being sidelined for cancelling irregular contracts entered into by the MDDA and service providers.

“Because Liphoko got to bottom of issues at the MDDA … then he was fired,” said Mahambehlala.

“The chairpeson of MDDA has a track record of terrorising people in that entitiy.”

MPs were not impressed, saying they wanted a report from Dlodlo, who sent officials to the MDDA on a “fact-finding mission”, by next week.

The committee would meet the MDDA board on October 6, asking them to answer to the allegations.

The MPs would only then consider what it would do to help clean up the entity. – ANA