Chairperson, Deputy President, Ministers present, guests and Members of Parliament, on behalf of the committee I would like to take this opportunity to thank both my predecessor, the hon Ishmael Vadi, and Miss Alma Nel, the then committee secretary, who were both instrumental in laying a good foundation for this process of the appointment of the SABC board.
These vacancies came about as the result of the resignation of four members. I am sure all members in this House are aware of that. On behalf of the committee I would like, again, to thank the four members who resigned from the SABC board for availing themselves to serve on the board, even though their services were short-lived. Furthermore, we must appreciate their professional conduct during their tenure and after their resignation.
Broadcasting in the context of any state, more especially a developmental one such as ours, will always be contested terrain. To believe otherwise would reflect a lack of integrity in dealing with this complex matter.
The request to fill four vacancies at the SABC was received by the committee. Accordingly, we called for the public to give nominations for the board in terms of the Broadcasting Act of 1999. The deadline for the first nomination was 15 November 2010. However, we had to extend the deadline after a request from the Save our SABC Coalition, which was accepted by the committee. I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the decision of the Save our SABC Coalition to suspend their call for the boycott of the nomination process. We received 84 nominations, and on 13 January 2011 the committee agreed to shortlist 14 candidates who were interviewed on 18 January, 19 January and 20 January 2011.
In terms of the nominations, there was not a single nomination received from any political party. However, during the interview process some of the candidates revealed their political affiliations. That was due to the questions posed by members of the committee to those particular candidates.
It is my considered view that all the parties in the committee understand the role of the public broadcaster and its significant role in a developmental state, hence the maturity they displayed throughout the process.
To this effect, I would agree with the hon Michael from the DA who has been quoted in the newspaper The New Age as saying, and I quote: "We wish the board members well and we guarantee them our support. This particular round of nominations was done professionally."
On 1 March 2011 the committee deliberated on the 14 interviewed candidates to select the four persons to serve on the SABC board. By now you are all aware in the House that the committee could not reach consensus on this matter.
The democratic process in terms of the Rules of the House, in particular of the the National Assembly, was employed to select the four candidates. The committee therefore resolved that the House, in accordance with the Broadcasting Act, Act 4 of 1999, recommend to the President that the following candidates be appointed to the SABC board, namely Dr Sethe Patricia Makhesha, Mr John Sembie Danana, Advocate Cawekazi Benedicta Mahlati and Mr Lumko Mtinde. I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, given the turmoil that the SABC has undergone in the past years, including compromised integrity as a public broadcaster, allegations of bias, financial mismanagement, governance failures and a state bailout of over a billion rands, the new members of the board have much work ahead of them.
The DA is especially pleased with the nomination of Dr Makhesa. We believe she was an excellent candidate and we believe she will bring a sense of integrity and even-handedness to the board.
We were disappointed that the strongest candidate, in our opinion, Mr Govin Reddy, has not been appointed. We are, however, encouraged by talks within the committee of placing these brilliant, yet unsuccessful candidates, on the advisory board that the Minister is required to establish. Mr Reddy's experience and the value he can add to South African broadcasting cannot be lost or ignored.
I must voice the DA's very strong concerns over the nomination of ANC and SACP member Mr Lumko Mtinde. Despite strong objections to his nomination, his name now serves before this House. Mr Mtinde is an outspoken advocate of the mooted media tribunal.
We are of the opinion that it is highly inappropriate for an advocate of a body that shuts down and regulates expression and speech to be appointed a governor of South Africa's primary source of information.
The public broadcaster should be mandated to relay all information and news accurately, fairly and without any fear of state censorship. On these grounds, the nomination of Mr Mtinde by ANC majority vote seems counterproductive, especially given the current hazardous state of the SABC and its current reputation. This House must please understand that the DA wants the SABC to be a success.
It is in the interests of all South Africans that the SABC operate successfully. It is for this reason that we strongly encourage the Minister to disregard the name of Lumko Mtinde and request the committee to submit to this House another more suitable candidate.
The DA believes that the new board, when constituted, should be cognisant of the fact that the SABC is a public broadcaster and not a state broadcaster. To live up to its mandate, the board will have to govern effectively as custodians of South Africans' primary source of news, information and entertainment.
Chairperson, in conclusion, allow me to thank those members of the board who stuck it out through very turbulent and often very unpleasant times. Allow me to wish the new members well again and remind them of this: It is an honour to serve your country. Do so with passion and integrity and only with the interests of all South Africans in your heart. Do not allow any form of political interference, and always operate in the interests of democracy and transparency.
In light of the unquestionable need for a free media, allow me to end with this quote from Voltaire: "I may disagree with what you say, but I will fight to my death to have you have the right to say it." I thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, the ANC proved yet again that it is a party that cannot be trusted, and voters in the coming elections must not be hoodwinked again with beautiful undertakings and false promises. [Interjections.] Cope believes that the whole process for the appointment of members to the SABC board was a scam. No matter how the ANC objects in the House today, the truth must prevail. For the past three to four years, some elements within the ruling alliance have become hellbent on taking control of the SABC. Whereas we, as a committee, agreed what the identified skills shortages were in the board, miraculously only one of the successful four candidates qualify in terms of those criteria. Excellent candidates on the shortlist of 14 were overlooked.
Notwithstanding the intention of the Broadcasting Act to prevent government influence on the SABC, the ANC's anxiety to take control of this process was clear right from the start. Why did the ANC not ever question the four resignations from the board? For any public broadcaster to lose four prominent board members of the calibre of Ms Barbara Masekela, Mr David Niddrie, Mr Makgatho Mello and Ms Felleng Sekha within a very short space of time signals that there is a problem. Why was the President in such a rush to accept these resignations with immediate effect? They could have served a three-month notice period.
The fact is that these persons tried in vain to alert the former Minister of Communications about political meddling in the affairs of the SABC board. And the President threw down the gauntlet with a subtle message to everybody: Nobody questions me or the ANC.
Of the four new board members, Cope can, unfortunately, only support one: the unanimously appointed Dr Makhesa. Cope has no issue with the other individuals per se, but we have a major issue with the abuse of the nomination process by elements in the ANC, and about how the ANC in the committee, as if per instruction, rammed the decision through.
Not surprisingly, serious concerns and questions raised by opposition members in the committee were carefully edited out on the SABC news channels, just like opposition parties and their messages are carefully edited out.
We are compelled to expose the deplorable manipulation of the nomination process by Luthuli House here today. Four nominations were made by one person, of whom two were successful and serve before the House.
Hon member, your time has expired. [Interjections.]
It is deplorable that the ANC today has hand-picked the members of the board, which is not in the interests of democracy. [Interjections.] Thank you. [Applause.]
Hon Chairperson, first of all, the IFP would like to thank members of the public for the heightened interest they have shown in the affairs of the SABC. When four vacancies occurred on the SABC board owing to the resignations of former board members last year, members of the public were invited to nominate candidates to fill those vacancies, and responses were received from 84 individuals. The committee had to shortlist 15 candidates who had to be interviewed.
We want to point out that, actually, all 15 candidates that were shortlisted were good candidates. This made the process of selecting the four candidates even more difficult. Therefore, the four candidates that are recommended to this House for nomination to the SABC board were, in our view, selected from the cream of the crop.
It is for this reason that the IFP implores this House to support the recommended four candidates to fill the vacancies on the SABC board. [Applause.] We do so for several reasons. Firstly, the SABC has been mired in controversy of one form or another for a long time now. This has dented the image and reputation of the SABC board as the public broadcaster.
Secondly, we now need to give the SABC the opportunity to rebuild their good reputation and to inspire the confidence of the nation to ensure that anyone who is appointed to the SABC board is an individual of impeccable credentials, capable of functioning as part of the team to promote the best interests of the SABC above individual and sectarian interests. Thirdly, we do not think that any of the four recommended candidates deserve harsh judgment before they have been given an opportunity to prove themselves. [Applause.]
The IFP regrets the fact that there was no unanimous agreement on the four candidates presented here, but believes that they should be supported in spite of whatever misgivings there are from certain quarters about this or that candidate. Also, the IFP feels it is the duty of the Portfolio Committee on Communications to exercise strict oversight and vigilance on how these candidates perform their duties as members of the SABC board.
The IFP, therefore, supports the four candidates presented to this House for nomination to fill the vacancies on the SABC board. I thank you, hon Chairperson. [Applause.]
Thank you, Chair. Hon members, Deputy President, all protocol has now been observed. Our historical background and the fact that we fought a liberation struggle to correct the injustices that enslaved the masses of our people mean that the transformation of the public broadcaster would be contested terrain with deep-vested political and ideological interests.
This, regrettably but understandably, has seized the SABC for different periods of time. Today, whilst we are going through the process of appointing candidates, it is this background that makes this debate so significant. We are primarily concerned with the public interest. How this is defined and by whom it is defined, give rise to the contestation.
Whilst today this debate may, at face value, be a procedural exercise, the political weight that is attached to it goes beyond the mere recommendation of appointments being accepted by this House. The fact that we have struggled with the transformation processes of the SABC should come as no surprise. The shareholder in this case has a clear perspective of what is required. Yet, in order for that to be translated requires a board and a chief executive officer who share that vision and mission. If not, we get dragged into the endless tactical struggles around individuals, who wish to extend their concepts of what the SABC should be, and then apply hegemony to try to get what they want.
On this occasion, I believe we need, yet again, to state what is expected by the ANC government as a shareholder from the board, the CEO and those whom we are recommending for appointment. It may have been said before, and we know it has, but, clearly, for whatever vested interest certain people chose not to listen.
So, here it is again in the hope and belief that this time we will all be moving in the same direction, respecting the provisions of the Act that establishes the SABC and being committed to the philosophy which underpins the existence of the SABC.
In broadcasting, it would be unthinkable to rely solely on market forces to ensure the provision of services in an inclusive manner to all South Africans. Public broadcasting is directly related to the democratic, social and cultural needs of our society. This means including all South Africans in the sociopolitical developments that characterise the transition to a national democratic society.
With regard to policy instruments that give concrete expression to the fundamental right to freedom of expression, for the SABC to give expression to the fundamental right of freedom of expression, it must go beyond treating South Africans as a mere audience and market captive to its services. It must also approach South Africans as citizens who constitute a public entitled to the many rights that are enshrined in the Constitution, broadcasting and many other statutes.
Secondly, the role played by the SABC is shaped by the history and current context of the country. The SABC has the most pervasive means of communications and has a direct role to play in the establishment and consolidation of democracy, democratic values, norms and standards, and the building of a common consciousness of being South African with a shared frame of reference.
Thirdly, the SABC as a public broadcaster, owned by the South African public, has a special responsibility to ensure the presence and reflection of South Africans from a South African point of view. The SABC must advance South Africa's national and international interests and project South African values to South Africans and the rest of the world. Regarding the issue of governance, the contestation is great. Those who are going to make appointments must be reminded that theirs is the duty to ensure that the board functions according to the mandate that has been given, and not to any other undeclared mandate. Vested interests are supposed to be declared upfront, and, if not, the passage of time will reveal this and this will only lead to the weakening of the board.
Whilst we have legislation which defines the mandate of the public broadcaster, it is how this legislation is implemented that will either lead to the realisation of the spirit and intention of the legislation and the ANC government policy or not. It is important to remind those on the board and those to be appointed that policy comes first, and legislation is a reflection of policy.
If this is the case, why then do we have problems with this scenario? We have Soros-funded thinking groups who want a disguised mercantile dictatorship called "independence" against democrats who want power to rest with the people. The "Soros-ites" and the "De-Klerk-ist" constitutionalists are essentially the same.
What the ANC government requires is as follows. The board rules the corporation and not the executive. We have had this battle before and we have cleared the confusion. The board must not get involved with detailed management. This must be left to the CEO. The board must not get involved in executive functions and, worse, be paid for that.
The CEO has clearly defined functions, as does the head of news. These and others should report to the board, whether directly or indirectly. There should not be a dual power situation in the SABC. The shareholder is the ANC government ... [Interjections.] ... and this role is overseen in public by the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications. This is how the power of the people is exercised. [Interjections.] The committee vets appointments to the board and makes recommendations to the President. It continues to receive reports from the board, in public, on behalf of and as instructed by Parliament. [Interjections.]
Order, hon members!
The chairman of the board, like any other chairman, is not a boss but should be ruled by the decisions of the board. This, too, has been a matter of struggle and it has been resolved in favour of the board. When it comes to the SABC, there are no nonpartisan positions. Most of the verbiage comes from the "De Klerkists", "Sorosites" and their fellow travellers.
The ANC government must ensure that the public broadcaster responds in a swift and decisive manner to its mandate. The governance model must be informed by the broader social transformation objectives, which require that the public broadcaster retain a strategic position in our national democratic society. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Agb Voorsitter, die VF Plus verwerp die aanstellings wat die parlementre Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie in die SABC-raad gemaak het. Al die aanstellings was ANC-voorkeurkandidate. Dit beteken dat die ANC sy greep op die SABC verder versterk het, en dit is 'n kommerwekkende tendens, spesifiek beskou teen die agtergrond van die komende plaaslike verkiesing.
Die ANC se stoomroller van aanstellings in die SABC se raad het 'n lang geskiedenis. Die VF Plus se vorige verteenwoordiger in die parlementre Portefeuljekomitee oor Kommunikasie, Dr Pieter Mulder, 'n leier van die VF Plus, het in 2007 uit die komitee gestap aangesien die ANC sy meerderheid in die komitee gebruik het om aanstellings van die SABC-raadslede deur te stoomroller. Hy het by di geleentheid ges dat opposisiepartye deur die ANC misbruik word om legitimiteit aan 'n onaanvaarbare prosedure te gee.
En nou weer, net soos met die vorige aanstelling van die raad in 2009, toe die ANC kwansuis die opposisie se kandidaat in ag geneem en haar selfs aangestel het, het die ANC sy eie kandidate aangestel. Hierdie nuwe aanstellings is weer eens 'n bewys dat die ANC nie vertrou kan word nie. Die vraag wat 'n mens jou onwillekeurig wil afvra, is of die ANC vir almal in Suid-Afrika regeer, of net vir sy eie kaders. Minderhede word al hoe meer op die kantlyn geskuif.
Dit bring 'n verdere vraag na vore, en dit is waarom die ANC toelaat dat rasse-ideolo soos mnr Jimmy Manyi spasie gegee word om beleid te maak wat gemeenskappe polariseer, en ook waarom die SABC-raad nie meer verteenwoordigend van minderhede in Suid-Afrika in die geheel is nie. Waarmee is die ANC eintlik besig?
Die ding is, as julle konflik wil h, wees verseker dat julle dit gaan kry, maar dis tog in niemand se belang aan die einde van die dag nie. Die party sal die werksaamhede van die SABC-raad - wat eintlik nou 'n ANC-raad is - dophou, en sal nie skroom om verdere stappe te neem indien die ANC die SABC vir eie gewin probeer gebruik nie. (Translation of Afrikaans speech follows.)
[Adv A D ALBERTS: Hon Chairperson, the FF Plus rejects the appointments on the SABC board by the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications. All the appointments were candidates the ANC gave preference to. This means that the ANC has strengthened its hold on the SABC even further and this is worrying, especially against the background of the looming local elections.
The ANC's fast-tracking of the appointments on the SABC board has a long history. The previous representative of the FF Plus on the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, Dr Pieter Mulder, a leader of the FF Plus, walked out of the committee in 2007 after the ANC used its majority in the committee to fast-track the appointments of the members of the SABC board. At the time he said that the ANC was abusing opposition parties to give legitimacy to an unacceptable procedure.
Now once again, as in the previous appointment of the board in 2009, where the ANC apparently took cognisance of the candidate of the opposition and even employed her, the ANC has appointed its own candidates. These new appointments are once again evidence of the fact that the ANC cannot be trusted. One cannot help but wonder if the ANC rules on behalf of the whole of South Africa, or only on behalf of its own cadres. More and more, minority groups are being pushed aside.
This begs another question: Why does the ANC allow room for racist ideologists such as Mr Jimmy Manyi to make policies that polarise communities? And why is the SABC board not more representative of minority groups in the whole of South Africa? What is the ANC actually doing?
The thing is, if you want conflict, then you can be certain that you will get conflict, but ultimately it really is in no one's best interest. This party will scrutinise the activities of the SABC board - which is in actual fact an ANC council - and will not hesitate to act if the ANC tries to use the SABC to further its own interests.]
Hon Chairperson, hon Deputy President, hon members and guests, it became very clear to all that there were problems in the SABC board: the controversy surrounding the appointment of Mr Phil Molefe and the suspension of Mr Solly Mokoetle.
We are in no doubt that the earlier rift between the chairperson and the board led to the resignation of the four board members. Azapo supports the appointment of the four candidates and wishes them well in their work. We will do so, hoping that the problems that led to the resignation of the four former board members have been dealt with or will be addressed. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, hon Deputy President, all Members of Parliament, we want to start by celebrating, because while the board was going through this period of turmoil, the SABC had a duty to broadcast the happenings of the World Cup.
Everybody, from all parties, has accepted that our World Cup last year, irrespective of the problems that the board was going through, went very well and that it was the biggest successful thing South Africa has ever experienced. [Applause.] Thank you for the hands, they are nice. [Laughter.]
The other important thing is that the independence of the board, more than any other thing, is ensured through the laws that are in place. It is governed by legislation. There is the Broadcasting Charter, and the independence of the board is also regulated by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.
So, all mechanisms to ensure its unbiasedness and its impartiality are guaranteed by law. However, I want to also say that the board is very important to all of us because the board has a mandate that is in the public interest.
The public of South Africa told us only now in our different political parties that the mandate they are giving us is to create jobs, and this message must be communicated because we are not going to create jobs alone as a government. We will have to create jobs with the people. The people are the best assets for job creation that this country has.
As a result, when analysts say to us we need engineers, we have to go back to our people and say we need to train you as engineers, so that these engineers can create factories to employ people. And I must just say briefly, by the way, that historically, by law, blacks were not allowed to be engineers. That is why all black universities such as Turfloop, Fort Hare, Ongoye, even the independent homeland ones - the University of Bophuthatswana, Transkei - and even the first urban black university, according to P W Botha's reform vista, did not have engineering faculties. This was because an engineering faculty was forbidden territory. It was a forbidden tree in the garden of Eden. [Laughter.]
The mandate that we have from our people is to create jobs and that mandate says to us the board must drive ...
Would the member take a question, hon Chair?
Hon member ...
I won't take a question, but if he listens, it will be answered as I talk. [Interjections.] [Applause.]
Ngumngane wakho okhulumayo. [It's your friend who is speaking.]
We are then saying that the broadcasting mechanism must communicate the strong message that for us to create jobs in the country, we need to produce engineers.
Order, hon members! The level of noise is too high in the House. Let us give the speaker an opportunity to be heard.
In addition to the deprivation of engineers in the past, it was also said by law in this country that blacks could not own factories. And, in fact, if you were there with a shop, that shop was not supposed to employ people. It was the law that blacks were not allowed to employ wage earners and salary earners.
So you can imagine: We are coming from a tradition where the law was making people unproductive, because they were not allowed to be engineers and own their own factories. Secondly, these people could not employ other people. You were supposed to run your shop both in the rural and urban areas with your next of kin: either with your children, cousins ... [Applause.]
Mr Chairman, on a point of order: While I appreciate the fact that the hon member receives some applause, which is more than the hon Blade Ndzimande has ever had ...
What is your point of order, hon member? [Laughter.]
The point of order is that I have no idea what the hon member is talking about - in terms of the issue, the Order Paper and the issue before the House today. It is totally and utterly irrelevant.
The point is that ...
Order, hon member! Mr Ellis, you may take your seat. You may continue, hon member.
The point I am making is that, given that history, the mandate of the SABC as a broadcaster is a mandate that is a ground-breaking mandate, because it has to change history. I know this history is irritating to some people. [Applause.] But the point is: What we are actually doing as the ANC government is to use the broadcaster to carry a mandate that is ground-breaking, because we need to do things for the first time in this country.
There is no history and there is no culture of blacks creating jobs. So, we are doing something that is altogether new to people who are listening and getting irritated. [Laughter.] [Applause.] They are probably not used to this type of people coming up and creating jobs and also developing the economy on their own.
This is a very important message that we must carry to our people. Our people must know today that they don't have other bosses; they are bosses themselves. They cannot expect any other person to create jobs for them, because while people own the economy, they are not creating jobs. Our people must stand up, rise up and create jobs for themselves. [Applause.] This is the strong message that we must carry.
Order, hon member! Yes, Mr Ellis?
Mr Chairman, on a point of order: I read that this item on the Order Paper has to do with the recommendations of candidates to fill vacancies on the SABC board. [Interjections.] While I understand that by creating or filling vacancies they might be creating jobs ... [Interjections.]
Hon Turok, will you take your seat. Let me listen to this point of order from the hon Ellis first, and then we will come to you. Yes, hon Ellis?
You will get your turn, Ben. Mr Chairman, we are talking about four jobs on the SABC board. Why is the hon member allowed to speak at length about job creation in the country as a whole? It makes no sense.
Thank you, hon member. You may take your seat. Mr Ellis, you would realise that, even though we are discussing the filling here of vacancies on the SABC board, this is a political debate that we are having and that allows for broader discussion, and that is what the speaker is doing. So, I will rule at the appropriate time if indeed the speaker is out of order. Hon Turok?
Mr Chairman ...
Hon Ellis, would you take your seat, please.
I have to reply to your point; your ... [Inaudible.]
Will you take your seat, please. Thank you. Hon Turok?
My point of order is about that point of order.
Hon Turok, will you take your seat, please.
The hon member is disrupting the speaker and we must not allow that. He is disrupting the speaker ...
Hon member, would you take your seat, please. Hon Ellis, I am not going to take a further point of order from you.
I just want to say, Mr Chair, that he was disrupting me.
Would you take your seat, please.
He was disrupting me. He was disrupting me.
Would you take your seat, please. [Interjections.] Order, hon members! Hon Kekana, you may continue.
Hon Chairperson, I still persist that we cannot see candidates for the board in isolation from a broader mandate of our people. They must have a mandate. [Applause.] When we choose them, we must ensure that, as a nation, we are choosing people that are able and willing to carry out a mandate. Without a mandate, there is no candidate, so the two go together. [Applause.]
This is the duty and this is the big call that our broadcasters are called upon today to perform. They cannot communicate anything, except what is in the public interest. And they cannot communicate anything that is not helping our people to get out of poverty and their plight of unemployment. That is our number one mandate for all parties. Otherwise, we are not caring. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Question put: That Dr Sethe Patricia Makhesa, Mr John Sembie Danana, Adv Cawekazi Benedicta Mahlati and Mr Lumko Mtimbe be recommended for appointment to the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
Are there any objections?
HON MEMBERS: No.
There are no objections.
Mr Chairman, I want to say seriously that the DA obviously supports this question, but we have made it very clear that there is one name there that we have a particular problem with.
Question agreed to (Congress of the People and Freedom Front Plus dissenting).
Dr Sethe Patricia Makhesa, Mr John Sembie Danana, Adv Cawekazi Benedicta Mahlati and Mr Lumko Mtimde accordingly recommended for appointment to the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation.