Committee to act on SABC meddling

THE PORTFOLIO committee on communications has decided to act on the legal opinion that calls for Communications Minister Faith Muthambi to stop interfering in SABC board matters.

Chairwoman of the portfolio committee Joyce Moloi-Moropa confirmed yesterday that Parliament had given her the go-ahead to bar Muthambi from meddling. This follows weekend reports that Speaker Baleka Mbete had refused to act on the legal opinion.

However, Parliament said yesterday that the Speaker could not act on committee matters before they had been concluded.

“Once a committee has finalised its process, it reports to the National Assembly. The Speaker then communicates decisions of the National Assembly to the relevant structure,” it said.

Moloi-Moropa said Parliament was correct in that the committee would have to attend to the matter and finalise it as the portfolio committee.

“We will prioritise the matter as the committee, and it needs us to urgently finalise it,” she said. A date has yet to be set. The SABC board has been embroiled in turmoil in the past few months, with three members being fired and three resigning.

Muthambi believes that, under the Companies Act, the board has the right to act against members. The minister has also said she has the oversight role on the SABC.