Communications Minister’s Role in Appointment of Critical SABC Post

The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition notes the intervention of the Minister of Communications to ensure the integrity of the appointment of the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) chief operating officer. The Coalition is happy to hear that the appointment process will be re-started to ensure that applicants have sufficient time to apply and that the post will be advertised both internally and externally to ensure that a wide pool of applicants are sourced. The Coalition has long campaigned for good corporate governance, sound human resource and labour practices to be implemented and enforced at our public broadcaster.

However, the Coalition is concerned that the Minister has had to intervene to ensure the integrity of the appointment process is safeguarded. In terms of international best practice, the Board should oversee appointments without any intervention from the Minister. The SOS Coalition calls on the SABC Board and CEO to drive this process, to ensure that due process is followed and that the best candidate is selected to fill this very important position.

The SOS Coalition represents a number of trade unions including Congress of the South African Trade Unions (COSATU), COSATU affiliates Communications Workers Union (CWU) and Communications Workers Union South Africa (CWUSA), Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA), Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (BEMAWU) and Media Workers Association of South Africa  (MWASA); independent film and TV production sector organisations including the South African Screen Federation (SASFED); and a host of NGOs and CBOs including the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), and the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA-SA); as well as a number of academics and freedom of expression activists.

For more information contact:

Kate Skinner
Coordinator
SOS: Support Public Broadcasting
Mobile: 082 926 6404
E-mail: kate.skinner@mweb.co.za

Patrick Craven
Spokesperson
Congress of the South African Trade Unions
Mobile: 082 821 7456

William Bird
Director
Media Monitoring Africa
Mobile: 082 887 1370

Marc Schwinges
South African Screen Federation
Tel: 011 483 8801

Tuwani Gumani
Media Workers Association of South Africa
Mobile: 082 743 3867

Hannes du Buisson
President
Broadcasting Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union
Mobile: 082 920 8669

For more about the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting, refer to www.supportpublicbroadcasting.co.za.

To view other NGO press releases, refer to www.ngopulse.org/group/home-page/pressreleases.