The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition
SOS WELCOMES PARLIAMENT’S DECISION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS TO THE SABC BOARD
18 November 2010
The SOS Coalition welcomes Parliament's decision to extend the deadline for nominations to 6 December 2010. This will allow Parliament to hold its hearing with the SABC Board on 23 November. The Coalition is hopeful that at this hearing Parliament will finally be able to deal with the various corporate governance breaches that have taken place at the SABC. If the various oversight and governance structures including Parliament and the SABC Board are prepared to commit to good corporate governance and implementing mechanisms of accountability going forward, this will significantly assist in encouraging experienced people with integrity and commitment to stand for the SABC Board.
There is one further important issue that needs to be considered - we need to carefully look at the gaps in terms of representivity that have been created by the present resignations. As the Broadcasting Act presently states the members of the Board when viewed collectively need to "represent a broad cross-section of the population of the Republic" and need to collectively have a range of skills in broadcasting policy and technology, broadcasting regulation, media law and so forth. As civil society we need to analyse what the gaps are and nominate accordingly. It is also most important that the Portfolio Committee does an analysis of this situation so that the appointment process takes this into consideration.
For more information:
Kate Skinner – SOS Coordinator – (082) 926-6404
Patrick Craven – Spokesperson Cosatu – (082) 821-7456
Matankana Mothapo – Spokesperson Communications Workers Union – (082) 759-0900
Oupa Lebogo – General Secretary Creative Workers’ Union – (084) 511-8763
Siphiwe Segodi – Coordinator Freedom of Expression Network – (072) 655-4177
William Bird – Director Media Monitoring Africa – (082) 887-1370
Faiza Abrahams Smith – Director Misa-SA – (076) 995-9513
Kgomotso Matsunyane and Feizel Mamdoo – Co-Chairs South African Screen Federation – (082) 901 - 2000
