Shortlisting of SABC candidates starts

PARLIAMENT was today due to start the process of shortlisting candidates to be interviewed to serve on the permanent board of the SABC.

The appointment for the permanent board has to be done before September, when the term of the interim board led by Khanyisile Kweyama expires.

The communications portfolio committee received 362 applications by its June deadline.

It must now sift through them and decide on a 12-member board to recommend to Parliament to serve at the public broadcaster for five years.

The number of applications received has impressed the public representatives.

They have ascribed it to the interim board’s renewing interest in the SABC.

At its meeting, the committee is expected to outline the process to be followed in handling the interviews, amid calls that these should be transparent and open.

Committee chairperson Humphrey Maxegwana declined to comment when approached by The Star yesterday, and referred questions to the national legislature’s communications division.

The DA’s Phumzile van Damme said South African citizens should participate in the process to find the best possible candidates for the permanent board.

“We intend carefully considering each application to ensure the best candidates are selected to continue the work of steering the SABC from the red to the black,” Van Damme said.

“The DA will push that the process be conducted with openness, transparency, and most importantly, with public participation,” she said.

“We will request that all CVs of shortlisted candidates are published on Parliament’s website to allow the public, civil society and interested parties the opportunity to submit comments on each shortlisted candidate.”

Maxegwana previously said each committee member would be furnished with a file containing the names of all applicants.

“The office of the chairman is working on summarising who has what in terms of qualifications and who met the criteria.

“That will be presented to the committee next week when we do the shortlisting,” he said at the time.

When the ACDP’s Steve Swart asked at the committee’s last meeting if the public would have an opportunity to comment on the shortlisted candidates, Maxegwana said the interview process for the candidates would be transparent and open.

Parliament’s search for a permanent board comes after the adhoc committee that probed the SABC’s affairs recommended the dissolution of the board led by Mbulaheni Maguvhe.

The committee had found a litany of irregularities and fraudulent activities at the public broadcaster.

Steps have been taken by the interim board to recover losses, including legal action against former executives Hlaudi Motsoeneng and James Aguma.

The public broadcaster incurred losses of R5 billion in irregular and wasteful expenditure between 2012 and 20167, which have now been referred to the Special Investigating Unit for investigation.