By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has written to parliament for more detail and clarity regarding the names of the SABC board member candidates.
In the latest letter to National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula published by the Parliamentary Monitoring Group (PMG) and dated 9 March, Ramaphosa again raises concerns about the three additional candidates, adding that some of the issues he had raised previously were never satisfactorily answered.
According to Ramaphosa, both committee chairperson Boyce Maneli and Mapisa-Nqakula agreed that the president should choose 12 board members out of the 15 names, leaving him with questions as to how the decision to include three more candidates came about.
Ramaphosa does not believe that he is constitutionally empowered to ignore the three more names as they feature in the contents of the resolution of the National Assembly of 6 December 2022.
The president further requested that the matter be referred back to the portfolio committee for communications urgently “so that I will be given a clear legally accurate record of what precisely the National Assembly has determined with respect to persons they advised me to consider for appointment to SABC board”.
In December, the National Assembly resolved to recommend to Ramaphosa the 12 shortlisted candidates for final appointment.
The 12 recommended candidates included former SABC head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni, who was dismissed from the public broadcaster last year, as well as former SABC journalist Dr Renee Horne, veteran broadcaster Mpho Tsedu, and the CEO of the Association of Comms and Technology, Nomvuyiso Batyi.
The other recommended candidates included Advocate Tseliso Thipanyane, Khathutshelo Ramukumba, Professor Franz Krüger, Aifheli Makhwanya, Rearabetsoe Motaung, lawyer Magdalene Moonsamy and Dinkwanyane Mohuba.
The National Assembly also adopted three additional names – Zolani Matthews, Palesa Kadi and Quentin Green – who were placed on a reserve list to be appointed if one of the 12 candidates were unable to serve on the board.
Media Monitor Africa described Ramaphosa’s excuses for delaying the appointment of the board as ridiculous.
The media watchdog decided to take the president to court for the delay. It is asking the Constitutional Court for an order declaring that the president has failed to fulfill this constitutional obligation.