Long timeline of wrongdoing at public broadcaster

June 2006: Radio host John Perlman sets off a storm of controversy by contradicting, on air, SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago’s denial that the broadcaster has blacklisted commentators critical of the government or then president Thabo Mbeki.

December 2007: Mbeki appoints a new SABC board. The move is believed to have contributed to the ANC’s decision to recall Mbeki from the presidency.

May 2008: Group chief executive Dali Mpofu suspends head of news Snuki Zikalala, source of the notorious blacklist, only to be suspended himself by the SABC board. This sets off a legal wrangle that ends in 2009, with Mpofu accepting an R11 million payout. Zikalala’s contract expires in the same year and is not renewed.

July 2009: Parliament resolves to dissolve the board after a string of resignations, and calls for a probe by the auditor-general.

July 2009: An interim board is appointed.

September 2009: The auditorgeneral releases a damning report on his investigation, which found widespread mismanagement and fruitless and wasteful spending.

November 2009: Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda announces the approval of a government loan guarantee of R1.4 billion for the SABC.

December 2009: Audited financial statements show the SABC has made a loss of R910m for 2008/9. President Jacob Zuma appoints a new SABC board, chaired by minister Ben Ngubane. Former chief operations officer Solly Mokoetle is appointed as its new chief executive.

May 2010: Phil Molefe is appointed head of news, but the board declares his appointment null and void, saying it wasn’t done properly.

June 2010: Board members send a memorandum to Nyanda accusing Ngubane of misconduct in his unilateral appointment of Molefe. Mokoetle is suspended after failing to deliver a turnaround strategy.

October 2010: Four members of the board resign. The Special Investigating Unit begins an investigation into millions of rand lost through fraud and corruption at the SABC.

November 2010: Zuma loyalist Hlaudi Motsoeneng is appointed acting chief operating officer.

January 2011: Mokoetle resigns.

June 2011: Board member Peter Harris resigns, as the SABC announces Molefe has been appointed acting chief executive. Outgoing acting chief executive Robin Nicholson sues for breach of contract.

October 2011: The broadcaster announces it is to investigate the leasing of luxury vehicles for its news team to the tune of R20m.

January 2012: Lulama Mokhobo is appointed group chief executive ahead of Molefe.

February 2012: Gugu Duda is appointed SABC chief financial officer.

April 2012: Mokhobo places Molefe, now head of news, on special leave. Molefe later loses a court bid to be reinstated.

April 2012: Board member Clifford Motsepe resigns.

September 2012: Duda is suspended after it emerges she signed off on a R3m sponsorship for the ICT Indaba, without the permission of the board.

January 2013: Board member Patricia Makhesha resigns.

March 2013: The board announces it has relieved Motsoeneng of his duties, only for the chair, Ngubane, to contradict the statement, saying Motsoeneng has been reinstated. Ngubane and his deputy resign, followed by the remaining members, barring Claire O’Neil. Parliament votes to dissolve the board.

April 2013: Zuma endorses the appointment of a interim board.