PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 119
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 13 February 2014
QUESTION PAPER NO: 01
DATE OF REPLY:
Mrs J D Kilian (Cope) to ask the Minister of Communications:
(1)Â Â Pursuant to confirmation by the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC)
that the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) has resigned, (a) what are
the reasons for her resignation two years into a five-year contract, (b)
when is her last day at the SABC (c)(i) was she requested by (aa) him or
(bb) the Board to withdraw her resignation, and (ii) will she be paid out
for the remainder of her contract period; if so, what are the relevant
details in each case;
(2)Â Â Did (a) he or (b) the SABC Board offer the GCEO a short-term contract
as acting GCEO until a permanent appointment is made; if so, what are the
terms of the short-term contract; if not, (i) why not, (ii)(aa) when will
the vacancy be advertised and (bb) what are the minimum academic
qualifications for the position and (iii) which SABC employee will be
appointed as acting GCEO until a permanent appointment is made;
(3) Â How does the SABC Board intend to stabilise the executive component of
the Board in view of the fact that all three executive directors will be
in an acting capacity for the foreseeable future;
(4)Â Â Whether he has expressed any concern about the leadership shortcomings
in the executive and management levels at the SABC as highlighted in the
PricewaterhouseCoopers Skills audit as well as the qualified audit report
by the Auditor-General in the 2012-13 financial year; if so, what
interventions are planned by his department;
(5)Â Has his department considered a move to place the SABC under the
administration of a management and business consultancy firm; if not,
why not?
NW125E
REPLY:
I have been advised by the SABC as follows:-
1) The previous GCEO of the SABC, Ms Lulama Mokhobo, signed a private and
confidential âMutual Separationâ agreement with the SABC in terms of
which she agreed to serve one full month notice period that ended on
the 28th February 2014. The parties are bound by the terms of the
agreement and accordingly cannot disclose the details thereof to third
parties by virtue of its confidentiality.
(2)(a) The matter was considered â but was not viable.
(2)(b) No
(2)(i) The Board of the SABC investigated various options for filling the
vacancy of the GCEO position and chose to exercise the option of an interim
GCEO as per the provisions (rights and obligations) prescribed in the
current articles/memorandum of incorporation of the SABC.
(2)(ii)(aa) Very soon.
(2)(ii)(bb) A post-graduate degree, preferably MBA or similar
(2)(iii) Mr. Christian Olivier
2) The SABC Board appreciates the urgency and need for stabilising the
executive director roles of the entity and will endeavour to make the
necessary appointments for the positions of GCEO, Chief Operating
Officer (COO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as soon as it is
practically and legally possible. In this regard the Board has
committed that such appointments will be processed and effected as
soon as it is possible only after the necessary due processes are
fulfilled in accordance with the prescribed regulatory and policy
frameworks that the SABC is subject to.
3) The SABC has put the following plans and actions in place to address
the findings of the skills audit:-
⢠Four suitably skilled Group Executives have been appointed since the
report was concluded in June 2013 and the remaining vacant positions
will be filled as soon as possible.
⢠Twenty one executives and senior managers completed the Executive
Development Programme during the 2013/14 financial year. This
programme will be further extended in the 2014/15 financial year.
⢠Coaching and mentoring for senior managers and executives will be
rolled out for the 2014/15 financial year.
⢠An increased budget for technical skills has been prioritised.
The Department is currently monitoring implementation of action plans
to address the audit findings of the Auditor-General in respect of the
2012/13 financial year.
4) No, as it is not necessary at this stage.