Scopa meets with SABC interim board to discuss scope of investigation
THE Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) is returning to the SABC today where it will hold discussions with the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) and the SABC interim board on probes at the public broadcaster.
The meeting follows a visit by Scopa at the corporation’s offices in March.
Scopa chairperson Themba Godi confirmed yesterday they will meet with the SIU and SABC interim board to discuss the scope of the investigations by the SIU.
The SIU was roped in following the report by the public protector and the ad hoc committee into the SABC.
Godi said they wanted to see if the investigations given to the SIU by the SABC would cover all the issues they wanted.
The SABC has referred investigations into irregular expenditure of R5.6 billion and some contracts to its forensic unit.
On the other hand, it has referred investigations into fruitless and wasteful expenditure, amounting to several millions of rand, and certain contracts to the SIU.
President Jacob Zuma is expected to issue a proclamation on the SIU investigations into the SABC by the end of the month. Godi said: “We will be interested to look at the scope, whether it will be sufficient to cover everything.
“Our meeting is to look at whether the scope is enough.
“We want to be satisfied if proclamation is done. It might be done by the end of June, the scope is comprehensive and will cover everything.
“We will meet with the interim SABC board as well as with the SIU.”
He said they wanted the SABC board to be in sync with what Scopa wants.
Scopa has been on the case of the SABC for some time and last month it called for action against suspended acting chief executive James Aguma. This was after he failed to show up at the meeting with Scopa and the committee said he had done the same thing when they visited the SABC in March.
The SABC has been asking for another bailout from National Treasury.
However, Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo has refused to say how much they require.
It was earlier reported the public broadcaster wanted a bailout of R5bn from Treasury, but this was never confirmed by the minister, or the interim SABC board.