South African Houses of Parliament. (CC image courtesy of PhillipN.)
The African National Congress (ANC) has decided against amending South Africa’s Broadcasting Act, after initially claiming it was “ambiguous” and essential before a new board was appointed at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).
HumanIPO reported earlier this month Sikhumbuzo Kholwane, chairman of parliament’s communications portfolio committee, said he wanted to extend the term of the current SABC interim board to buy some time to rush through amendments to the Broadcasting Act.
That idea has now been dropped and Marian Shinn, Democratic Alliance’s shadow minister for communications, welcomed the move.
Shin said: “The DA welcomes the move to shelve the amendment. Rolling over the interim board would entrench a weak and inexperienced board, susceptible to the formidable pressures of the Minister, and a SABC executive management weak in corporate management expertise and experience.”
She said the committee had taken advice from parliament’s legal services before taking the decision to push through amendments before September.
“The revision of the Broadcasting Act will be a lengthy process of public participation, debate and revision and is likely to take several years to complete,” she said.
“We could not run the risk of a weak interim board being rolled over in perpetuity, and likely rubber-stamping dubious executive management decisions.”
