SABC gets a roasting from Communications Portfolio Committee opposition MPs

Following a briefing from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) on their skills audit on Tuesday 4 February, DA member of the Portfolio Committee on Communications Ms Marian Shinn said that the SABC's presentation had given MPs “a snap shot of the very tragic state of the SABC... I have wondered what you have been doing since Treasury gave you the loan”. She further added “you are supposed to be going digital in 18 months, but I don’t think you have the skills... The Corporation is in a shocking state and I don’t believe your executives are the team to [fix it]”.

Shinn went on to argue that the digital archives “are going nowhere” and that most of the staff don’t know what they are doing.

ANC MP Kekana was more supportive of the measures the current SABC top brass are taking to address challenges faced by the institution. “I support the SABC on their job training programme,” he said.

A number of other opposition MPs also made mention of the concerns raised by the Auditor General’s report on the current state of our public broadcaster and that basic business principles are not being applied to the management of the SABC. “We need to know what is going on,” said COPE MP Kilian.

In reply, Prof Bongani Khumalo, SABC board member, said “we have taken major, strong steps... the board is fully functional as are the committee’s... we have [people on board who are] experienced in people management”. He added that the SABC leadership’s management was based on good governance and integrity and that the Committee would be impressed with their level of engagement with all staff members and independent consultant companies. While Khumalo accepted some of the “tough feedback” from Shinn and others, he added that the SABC had a “daring new vision”. Khumalo said, “It’s not just about skills but also developing competency” and ascertaining what value staff members added to the corporation."

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