Cape Town – MPs have already prejudged the outcome of an inquiry into the affairs of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, the legal team acting for the broadcaster’s board chairman Mbulaheni Maguvhe argued in the Western Cape High Court on Friday afternoon.
Maguvhe, the only non-executive board members left after several resignations over the past few weeks, is seeking an urgent interdict to stop an inquiry by an ad hoc committee of Parliament from going ahead.
Thabani Masuku, SC, arguing for Maguvhe, said MPs sitting on the committee and their political parties have already made negative statements about Maguvhe, whom has refused to step down despite a request from Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications to do so.
“You are already stuffed. There’s no way you can walk into a committee of persons who hold this view that they are going to be independent….they already held that view,” Masuku said.
Masuku insists the committee members would not give Maguvhe a fair hearing.
“People have already announced on the conduct of this individual…because they will say he has failed to discharge his fiduciary duties,” he contended.
Maguvhe also insisted, Masuku said, that his dignity was at stake, to which Judge Siraj Desai said: “To be the last man standing is hardly a very dignified position.”
The hearing continued late on Friday afternoon.
African News Agency