MISA South Africa Statement on the crisis at SABC

In the past four months, the SABC governance structure has suffered three resignations from Peter Vundla, Christine Qunta and Fadila Lagadien.
Post the resignation of three other board members, the MISA-SA Chapter has been expecting more board members to step down, hence our affiliation to the Save Our SABC Campaign. MISA-SA Chapter is calling for the implementation of the newly amended Broadcasting Bill, which now allows Parliament to intervene should a crisis arise within the Board.
The resignation of the SABC Board chairperson is something that we have seen coming for a long time. For a while the broadcaster has been riddled with problems both at leadership and management level. These problems have been there before this current board, said the Chairperson of the MISA-SA Chapters National Governing Council, Noma Rangana.
The MISA-SA Chapters concern is whether replacing Kanyi Mkonza with Ashwin Trikamjee solves the problems the public broadcaster is facing currently. What role will the reshuffling of the board members within themselves play in turning the broadcaster around?
Much as the SABC has requested rescue funding from government, we are interested in government and Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications position on the past financial audit report being reviewed and determining the implications of government issuing additional funds under the circumstances. Our concern also includes the implementation of the Public Finance and Management Act (PFMA) as it impact on the management of public funds.
MISA-SA Chapter calls on Parliament to exercise its responsibility in solving the challenges that the public broadcaster is currently facing. We are however happy with the fact that the Portfolio committee has retained Ismail Vadi as the chairperson. At a time like this, the committee will need someone with a clear sense of the issues at the SABC and has been engaging with civil society on the state of the broadcaster.