SABC interim board to be picked by consensus

THE communications portfolio committee has agreed on the need to reach consensus on the names of five people to be nominated to serve on the interim SABC board.

The parties will this week submit the names of their preferred candidates to the Chief Whips Forum, which will meet next week to agree on the “consensus names”.

Once the chief whips reach consensus, the names will be brought to the committee for discussion and adoption before recommendations are made to Speaker Baleka Mbete.

This was agreed on after the committee unanimously noted the urgency to appoint the interim board, and that the SABC executives were taking decisions that could be illegal.

The interim board will have a term of not more than six months, and there is no need to advertise and conduct interviews for the positions.

“For this one we need to discuss how we bring names to the table,” committee chair Humphrey Maxegwana said.

DA MP James Selfe said discussions on the names should start next week.

“I’m worried that some decisions taken by the executives may be challenged. I urge the committee to proceed with the appointment of the board as rapidly as possible,” Selfe said.

His sentiments were echoed by the ANC’s Mziwamadoda Kalako. “This is urgent. The board is not there. What is happening is that only the executives take decisions,” he said.

Kalako also said the appointment of the interim board should be speeded up so that the yet to be appointed permanent board did not find itself with “things and steps difficult to reverse”.

The EFF’s Floyd Shivambu said it would be best if the nominees’ names were subjected to the consultation of the chief whips.

“We are not interviewing, (so) at least use that platform of chief whips to find common ground on the five names. If we don’t find one another, that will be sad,” Shivambu said.

The Chief Whips Forum is expected to meet by Wednesday next week at the latest.

“This week, parties are to come with names. Next week, names will be taken to the whips forum,” Maxegwana said. “We’ll organise a meeting to look at those names.”

If we don’t find one another, that will be sad’