PARLIAMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION NO: 198
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 21 February 2014
QUESTION PAPER NO: 2
DATE OF REPLY:
Mrs J D Kilian (COPE) to ask the Minister of Communications:
(1)Â Â Â Whether he can indicate what steps he, as representative of the
shareholders, will take to ensure that all those persons identified in
the report by the Public Protector on serious administrative
deficiencies identified in the senior management of the SA Broadcasting
Corporation (SABC), will be held accountable;
(2)Â Â Â Whether a certain person (name provided) will be called to a
disciplinary hearing concerning the specified personâs role in the
irregular appointment of a certain person (name provided); if not, why
not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3)Â Â Â Whether he will take steps to determine a deadline by which date the
three executive positions in the SABC Board should be filled; if not,
why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4)Â Â Â Whether he will request law enforcement agencies to institute
criminal charges and civil suits against any departmental official that
the report identifies in respect of any wrongdoing; if not, why not; if
so, what are the relevant details?
NW206E
REPLY:
(1) Within five minutes of receiving the Public Protectorâs Report, it
was referred to the Office of the Chief State Law Adviser for legal
advice on what action a Minister could take. Within 24 hours of
receiving the Public Protectorâs Report, I spoke with the Chairperson of
the SABC about it. Within 72 hours, the Office of the Chief State Law
Adviser gave us their legal opnion. Within 10 days we met with the SABC
Board to discuss how they intend to process the Report, and also gave
them a copy of the opinion from the Chief State Law Adviser. It is for
the SABC Board, in the first instance, to decide on what action to take
on the recommendations of the Public Protectorâs report. The Board is
processing the Report. We are engaging them further on this. We will
respond depending on the decisions the Board takes.
(2) The person concerned is challenging the accuracy of the findings
against him. With the assistance of the Chief State Law Adviser, the
Director General is engaging with the individual concerned.
(3) We have proposed a deadline for the appointment of a GCEO. As the CFO
has been dismissed the Board will be advertising the post. The proposed
out-of-court settlement with the person who legally challenges the SABC
when it seeks to fill in the COO post is currently with the National
Treasury for its consideration.
(4) Yes, if there is a legal case for this action.