Chairperson, first of all, as Cope, we would like to just register our serious discomfort with the process followed and the undue haste this morning to dissolve the board or the remainder of the members, with effectively less than 24 hours' notice. We were aware of a deliberate attempt and instructions issued by Luthuli House on Sunday for board members to resign en masse and therefore we were anticipating some crisis that would have been precipitated by the ANC.
It was significant that six of the nine members resigned, those that the ANC believed were deployed from Luthuli House, and they were instructed to submit their resignations. This is absolutely unacceptable. The fact of the matter is that these members were proposed through a parliamentary process and, therefore, they take their mandate from Parliament and not from Luthuli House.
The fact that this was brought about in the past three to four days is, furthermore, unacceptable because the portfolio committee was absolutely scandalous in their manner in overseeing the serious crisis that was there for the entire nation to see.
Over the past two years we have had serious problems at the SABC board. On 25 October 2011, we had a delegation of members of the board who complained about the autocratic behaviour of Dr Ben Ngubane and the fact that he thought he was the executive board member or chairperson of the board. Last year we had another case, and it was a surprise to hear from the chairperson now that the inquiry into Adv Cawe Mahlati was still being processed, because, from our side, it was evident that there was no case. From what Adv Mahlati placed before our committee, it was evident that this was just a repeat of the unacceptable autocratic behaviour of the former board chairperson.
What was also very significant was the fact that there was one board member present in the committee this morning. What she informed us about the committee was important. It was for the entire committee to understand the extent of the bullying tactics that were actually occurring at the SABC board, where they were forced to process unacceptable appointments, including the fact that Dr Ben Ngubane was responsible for Phil Molefe's appointment and then in the end deserted him. Also, the processing of the Special Investigating Unit report ...