Speaker, Cope calls on the Minister of Communications to withdraw the controversial Public Service Broadcasting Bill, which was secretly published on Saturday without any consultation, not even with the SABC Interim Board.
Cope requests him to do so because the Bill spells the end of any pretence that the SABC has editorial independence, but particularly because it is also a technically flawed Bill. It is imposing a new tax on South Africans, which makes this a section 77 money Bill, clearly the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.
Not only does this overhasty publication demonstrate his flagrant disregard for the Constitution, the public, this Parliament and the role of the National Treasury, but it also illustrates the ANC's real intention to nationalise the public broadcaster.
Cope calls on the Minister to do the honourable thing; to admit that he did not apply his mind before publication, to amend the Bill and to reintroduce it through the proper channels. Currently, only about 3% of the SABC's revenue comes from state coffers. The interim board this week confirmed that the turnaround strategy, which relies heavily on good governance and financial accountability, will get the SABC back to generating a profit by 2012.
Cope calls on the Minister to restore effective management rather than to use the current financial crisis at the SABC as an excuse for a power grab of the public broadcaster. I thank you.