(Subcommittee) SABC Vacancy: shortlisting process

Meeting report

The subcommittee convened to discuss the shortlisting process for a vacancy in the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

Discussion on the shortlisting

Mr Thembinkosi Ngoma, Committee Secretary, briefed the subcommittee on the background of the vacancy. The vacancy emanated from the resignation of Ms Bernedette Muthien from the SABC board. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the number of candidates to be shortlisted for this position vacated by Ms Muthien.

Mr Ngoma informed the Members that the Committee had received 69 nominations. Details of their CVs were also available to Members. The Committee had also received some CVs from students who were looking for internship and apprenticeship positions. These CVs were about 30 in total.  

Mr Ngoma said that convention dictates that all submitted qualifications from candidates would need to be verified. Further, all candidates would have to get security clearance from the State Security Agency.

Mr Ngoma informed Members section 13 of the Broadcasting Act, 4 of 1999, stipulates the criteria that Members must bear in mind while selecting individuals for the SABC Board.

Mr Z Mbhele (DA) sought clarity on the 69 nominations. He asked if the 69 nominations had included the 30 ineligible ones which the Committee received from students and learners looking for internship positions. If that is the case, the Committee would have a baseline of 39 nominations to select from.

The Chairperson clarified that the 30 ineligible ones were not part of the 69 nominations.

Mr Ngoma reaffirmed the Chairperson’s response - 69 is the number of candidates that the Committee needed to shortlist from.

Ms N Khubheka (ANC) remarked on the desperation for jobs among South Africans. Apart from the 69 nominations of which the Committee would have to shortlist, there were still 30 freshly-graduated students that were looking for jobs. She highlighted the issue of the scarcity of jobs and expressed her appreciation for those who managed to apply.

Ms Khubheka wanted to know if there is a requirement on the minimum number of shortlisting candidates in terms of the SABC Act.

Mr Ngoma responded that the Act does not speak to that. The determination of the number of shortlisting candidates solely lies within the authority of the Committee.

Ms P Faku (ANC) iterated the necessity to review the skills that were needed at the SABC. She suggested Members review the current skills set on the board before determining the number.  

The Chairperson agreed with Ms Faku’s suggestion and said that the subcommittee needed to check the existing skills on the board so that Members can identify what skills are still needed for the board. Then the subcommittee could have a more targeted approach in selecting shortlisted candidates. He suggested five candidates for the shortlisting of the SABC board vacancy position.

Mr L Molala (ANC) proposed that the subcommittee should know what the SABC Act requires of its board members in terms of their skills instead of rushing to determine a number for the shortlisting of candidates. The shortlisting approach should be skills-oriented but not driven by a mere number.

Mr Mbhele agreed with Mr Molala. He was of the view that the subcommittee needed to have more detailed criteria before determining how many candidates should be shortlisted. Members should remember that they could use this vacancy opportunity to fill the skills gap on the current board.

Ms Khubheka supported this view.  

Mr Ngoma said that the vacancy would have expired in October 2022 had Ms Muthien not resigned. He clarified that unlike the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) Act, the determination of the number of shortlisted candidates for the Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA) and SABC per vacancy lie within the discretion of the subcommittee. As for Members’ view on the skill set, Mr Ngoma had prepared a document detailing the skills among the current 11 SABC board members. Unfortunately he said that he could not pre-shortlist for Members as the authority only lies with the Members to do so. The summarised CVs, qualifications and companies those candidates had previously worked, for would be provided to Members.  

Mr Molala complained about the lack of qualifications indicated in the SABC Act which made the subcommittee’s work more difficult. He emphasised that the subcommittee needed to know what skills would be required of this vacancy so that Members could have a targeted approach when shortlisting candidates. He asked if the subcommittee support staff could come up with some form of criteria in order to assist subcommittee Members in this regard. He said that he had no problem with five candidates being shortlisted in the process.

Ms Z Majozi (IFP) understood Mr Molala’s point of view. She suggested that each Member select 10 to 15 candidates from the list and then find the overlap. The names recommended by all Members would then be shortlisted.

The Chairperson clarified to Mr Molala that the skills needed for the SABC board was included in the presentation - that should be the criteria. What the subcommittee now needed to do was to review candidates’ skills against the Act as well as the existing skillset on the board, then the subcommittee could come to its decision on the shortlisting.

The subcommittee agreed that five candidates would be shortlisted if conditions such as given skillset permitted.

Adoption of programme

Mr Ngoma informed the subcommittee that 10 March was scheduled for the subcommittee’s interviews for those shortlisted candidates. As convention dictated, the interview process took place immediately after the verification process of candidates’ qualifications and the all-clear given by the State Security Agency on the candidates’ suitability to serve on the board.

Mr Ngoma asked subcommittee Members to be mindful that there would be a House sitting until 7:30pm on 10 March which would affect the subcommittee’s programme. He had provisionally put the time for interviews 6pm to 10pm on that day. Further, the deliberation on the interviewed candidates was scheduled on 16 March but this would be subjected to the subcommittee’s oversight application from the House Chairperson.

Ms Majozi supported the programmes overall however, she reminded Members to be mindful of the probable clashes between the House sitting and the interview process on 10 March as well as the oversight visit and the deliberation on 16 March.

Mr Mbhele agreed that the given timeframe was very tight. However, he understood the constraints given when the first term would end. He assured his willingness to go ahead with the programmes to serve the people.

Ms Faku raised a point that since she was also serving on the Portfolio Committee on Police and it has an oversight visit scheduled for 16 March. Hence, she wondered if there would be a clash with the subcommittee’s programme.

Ms Khubheka said that Members must all be prepared to be flexible to balance their timetables. Members must try to accommodate those different schedules.

The adoption of the subcommittee programmes received support from all Members on the condition that adjustments would have to be made accordingly.

The meeting was adjourned.