Cosatu welcomes ANC MP's call for vote of no confidence in SABC Board 30-04-08

 

COSATU welcome ANC MPs' call for vote of no confidence in SABC Board

The Congress of South African Trade Unions warmly welcomes the call for a vote of no confidence in the SABC Board which has been made by ANC MPs at a meeting of the Parliament's Communications Committee, which oversees the public broadcaster.

ANC MP Eric Kholwane said that "this board is not in a position to execute their fiduciary responsibility or duties and we therefore accordingly want to pass a vote of no confidence to this board".

The Board was approved by President Mbeki immediately after the ANC Conference in Polokwane had passed a resolution saying that, in accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, the appointing body, (we must) "ensure that the SABC Board is representative of all sectors broadly in our society".

The Act specifies that "the Board, when viewed collectively, should consist of persons who are suited to serve on the Board by virtue of their qualifications, expertise and experience in the fields of broadcasting policy and technology, broadcasting regulation, media law, frequency planning, business practice and finance, marketing, journalism, entertainment and education, and social and labour issues".

COSATU, the Freedom of Expression Institute, Media Workers' Association of South Africa, the National Council of Trade Unions, the South African Chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa and the South African NGO Coalition all vehemently opposed the composition of the SABC Board.

This Board is not broadly representative of society but has a clear bias towards business figures like Andile Mbeki, Gloria Serobe, Desmond Golding, Bheki Khumalo and Peter Vundla. In contrast, there are no members who could be said to have qualifications, expertise and experience in labour and social issues, in spite of the fact that a prominent figure from the labour movement was forwarded for consideration.

The composition of the Board was an insult to the people of South Africa and we call upon its members to heed the call of the MPs and resign, so that Parliament can appoint a new Board that will conform with the Act and represent the broadest possible range of South African society.

The Parliamentary Committee's call is an historic victory for democracy.

Patrick Craven (National Spokesperson)

Congress of South African Trade Unions

1-5 Leyds Cnr Biccard Streets

Braamfontein, 2017

P.O. Box 1019

Johannesburg, 2000

SOUTH AFRICA

Tel: +27 11 339-4911/24

Fax: +27 11 339-5080/6940/ 086 603 9667

Cell: 0828217456

E-Mail: patrick@cosatu.org.za