Hon Deputy Speaker, just like before, the ANC in the portfolio committee showed that they cannot be trusted. They reneged on agreements. The difference this time was that they did not buckle under pressure from Luthuli House, but apparently received their orders from hon Blade Nzimande or Mr Jeremy Cronin. [Interjections.] The whole process of advertising, short-listing and interviewing of candidates for appointment to the SABC board was a sham, with hundreds of thousands of rands in tax wasted on trooping the committee and eight staff members to Johannesburg.
Notwithstanding a decision to depoliticise the board and the selection process, the ANC again resorted to cadre deployment. The committee chair was extremely economical with the truth, accusing the opposition of throwing tantrums about a singular candidate. The truth is far from that. We reached an agreement on candidates, including proposed ANC candidates. But this past week they made a sudden about-turn and refused to accept their earlier nominations, replacing them with a rigid slate of politically aligned comrades. They refused point-blank to accept even one candidate supported exclusively by the opposition. [Interjections.]
There is no doubt that this list before us contains some good names, but the board lacks the collective skills, balance and independence to restore the credibility of the public broadcaster. Excellent candidates were rejected by the ANC. Blind loyalty and service in the ANC's higher echelons became the determining factor. The SABC will continue to remain in crisis. The truth is that the board and the management could not escape the factionalism prevalent in the ruling alliance during past years. If the Special Investigations Unit's latest audit disclaimer and scandals of news manipulation and governance irregularities under the Ngubane board did not shake the ANC into action to remove politics from the business of the SABC, then nothing will.
It is to be doubted whether the SABC could be salvaged as spectacularly as the Costa Concordia earlier this week. Treasury gave the previous SABC board an initial lifeline and dictated the terms of the salvage operation, but the board did not control the salvage operation and it slipped back into deep water. The Costa Concordia, although damaged, will soon be ready to sail, but can the SABC be salvaged without the equivalent of a Nick Sloane engineering team? [Interjections.]
Cope wishes the board everything of the best. However, we believe their task will be much more difficult than the hauling of a stranded ship from the rocks. We do not need manipulated news bulletins. We need an independent public broadcaster. Thank you. [Applause.]