Walkout by SABC group enrages ANC
Party shocked by disrespect at meeting probing board’s fitness to hold office
THE ANC has expressed outrage after a delegation from the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) staged a mass walkout from parliament. “The office of the ANC chief whip is gravely dismayed and shocked by the disrespectful and contemptuous conduct of SABC representatives today during the meeting of the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing the SABC board’s fitness to hold office,” it said.
“The representatives‚ led by the only remaining board member and chairman, Prof Mbulaheni Maguvhe‚ staged a walkout in the middle of the ad hoc committee meeting after Prof Maguvhe’s demand for all documents to be converted to Braille was rejected as another stalling tactic.
“The utter disrespect that the SABC chairman and his lackeys continue to demonstrate towards parliament‚ including the very institution they lead‚ represents a serious attack against these public institutions and the people of South Africa.”
The party accused the SABC of stalling tactics aimed at frustrating the work of the ad hoc committee‚ saying the committee was already behind schedule due to Maguvhe’s court interdict‚ which was rejected by the Western Cape High Court on Friday.
A day before the inquiry into the SABC board’s fitness to hold office was set to resume‚ Maghuve launched an urgent application to interdict MPs from going ahead with the inquiry.
Meanwhile, Maguvhe says he is not going to resign. Speaking at a media briefing in Cape Town yesterday following the delegation’s walkout, he said he would wait for the SABC’s appointing authority to release him from office.
“In 2013, I got an appointment letter from the appointing authority that I must serve on the SABC board,” Maguvhe said.
“To date, I have not received any letter from the appointing authority that says my services are terminated.
“If the appointing authority no longer needs my services I am sure the letter will come from that appointing authority to me to say I am terminating your services.
“I don’t see why I should resign because I never appointed myself.
“I am waiting for that letter to say you have worked thus far‚ can you please step down.”
Maguvhe is the only non-executive board member left after a string of resignations over the past few weeks.
He also said he was concerned that no board had served its full term at the SABC since the dawn of democracy.
“The question is that are all these men and women unfit?
“This is the question that we should leave to the public.
“Something is wrong and this should be corrected because I believe there will be no board that serves its full term‚” he said.
The SABC’s chairman and a number of executives‚ including acting chief executive James Aguma and head of corporate affairs Hlaudi Motsoeneng‚ walked out of the committee after Maguvhe’s request to have the Icasa and auditor-general’s reports translated into Braille was rejected.