Chairperson, Cope undertook to defend the Constitution and the founding principles on which our democracy was established. That includes zero tolerance of political interference in independent public bodies. We also articulated our opposition by fiercely opposing the abuse of public resources, be it through corruption, the squandering of public money, or the politicisation of the Public Service and independent institutions.
Cope therefore raises the following issues: In a debate on the department, which is a key custodian of specific state-owned institutions, the independence of which is of critical importance to our democracy, a disconcerting trend of political interference in public institutions has unfortunately unfolded in recent months.
We have witnessed several examples of how the ruling alliance moved this country closer to a totalitarian state: Firstly, the Scorpions were abolished because some investigations were too close to people in high political office. Persistent political interference in the judiciary took place from cases of drunken driving to lobbying for political outcomes of judgements.
Secondly, the National Prosecuting Authority was reigned in to find a political solution for the ANC's leadership problem. That was not all, and now we are coming closer to this department. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, Icasa, board members were directly instructed, if not intimidated, to rethink their earlier decisions on the Vodacom listing.
Thirdly, the SABC board has been undermined and sabotaged over the last 18 months as part of a post-Polokwane purge to replace it with a pro-new order interim board, under direct control of Luthuli House, Cosatu House and the SACP headquarters in Braamfontein. After hearing the alarming evidence before the portfolio committee last week and today, it is indisputably clear that the SABC crisis and inevitable hardship for producers and their families in the trying times that we face today, could have been averted if the ANC were not so preoccupied with their own internal battles. [Interjections.]
Why was there no effective budgetary oversight last year, when it became apparent that the SABC management presented a R600 million deficit budget? Instead, ANC members in the previous portfolio committee took sides and moved a motion of no confidence in the board. The same board that tried to have management conduct a review process for the budget and to affect the necessary cuts to a bloated escalating personnel budget. They chose to ignore the inevitable consequences of a public broadcaster with an unrealistic, partly-funded mandate and serious management deficiencies.
The financial management crisis at the SABC is therefore to be laid squarely with the majority party in this House. We belief that all is not lost. However, we again call for a forensic audit to get to the bottom of what went wrong. Allegations have been thrown to and fro between management and the nonexecutive board members, but Cope would like to call for a forensic audit. We want to get to the bottom to rescue this organisation, because the SABC is the public broadcaster and belongs to all South Africans.
We need to ensure that we depoliticise it and that we once and for all get efficient, accountable management structures in place. New faces on the board will not correct bad habits and restore sound financial management principles in the institution, only firm action in terms of the Public Finance Management Act will.
Similarly, hands-off other state-owned entities such as Icasa. The Icasa board apologised profusely for their indiscretion to block the Vodacom listing - very loyal, thank you. But, clearly, the embarrassing folly was a direct result of blatant political interference by top leadership of the SACP, Cosatu and the ANC, and that information was placed before the committee. Even worse, the ruling alliance recklessly ignored the impact on the market. We want accountability back in this House. We want to keep the ruling alliance and all bodies, as contained in the Constitution, public entities and independent bodies. We want to protect those bodies, and that is what Cope is setting out to do. Thank you. [Applause.]