SABC chief’s suspension hailed, but more urged

PARLIAMENT’S standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) says it’s pleased that the SABC’s interim board has suspended acting chief executive James Aguma. But it also wants action taken against other senior officials guilty of wrongdoing.

This was said by Scopa chairperson Themba Godi yesterday.

Two weeks ago, Scopa called for action against Aguma for alleged financial mismanagement and for failing to deal with irregular expenditure of R5.1 billion.

Godi called for the decision to suspend Aguma to be followed by other action against senior officials at the SABC, in the wake of the financial mess in which the corporation finds itself.

“The suspension of Aguma is the beginning of a process to hold senior managers accountable,” Godi said.

He said Scopa would invite both the SABC and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to discuss the scope of the probe into irregularities at the SABC.

The SIU is expecting the proclamation on its investigation to be issued next month. After that it will begin with the investigation at the SABC.

The interim SABC board told Scopa two weeks ago they had already met with the SIU and discussed some of the work to be looked into by the unit.

One of their investigations centres on a R25 million contract given to a firm to look into irregular expenditure and how to fix it. Scopa believes the contract was awarded illegally and should, therefore, be scrapped.

Godi said the suspension of Aguma was an indication by the board that it was serious in wanting to deal with the problems facing the SABC.

The SABC is deep in the red. It needs about R3bn to get out of financial trouble. It was reported recently that the board had submitted a proposal for a R3bn bailout. But Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo said no set figure had been arrived at.