Chairperson, I rise this morning on behalf of the IFP to oppose this Budget Vote. We oppose the deplorable actions of all those responsible for the renewed crisis at the SABC.
We oppose the ongoing political interference in the running of our public broadcaster. We condemn the manner in which the SABC is flouted, and we reject the message that is being sent to the youth of our country that it is okay to lie, because seemingly you can get away with it. We condemn the total disdain that is being displayed towards the Office of the Public Protector in this matter. We oppose the backers of Mr "Happy News" Hlaudi Motsoeneng. He is unsuitable for this position for a variety of reasons. He continues to act with impunity as he unleashes his reign of terror on the staff of the SABC, especially in newsrooms, where he is even alleged to edit content himself.
We reject the manner in which SABC boards are appointed. It is nothing more than a wild goose chase, where opposition parties are led to believe that we are searching for the best candidates, only to find that the entire process had been set in stone from the outset. The last wild goose chase was a case in point. The ANC arrived at our meeting, and we agreed on a shortlist, only to find at the next meeting that they were now favouring new candidates, including the wife of the hon Buti Manamela. [Interjections.] How could this have happened? I could only imagine that the Luthuli House memorandum did not arrive in time for our first meeting.
Fellow South Africans, we, the taxpayers, fund the SABC. As the custodians of the SABC, we must therefore ask ourselves today whether it is still the right thing to do to pay our television licences. South Africa spoke up in unison against e-tolls and said no. Maybe, if nothing is done to rectify the crisis at the SABC, we would be well within our rights to lead a similar campaign. Perhaps only then our voices will be heard. We will not support this Budget Vote. I thank you. [Applause.]