SABC board member resigns in corruption row

Published Dec 11, 2005

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SABC board member Noluthando Gosa has resigned after accusing her fellow board members of tolerating widespread corruption at the public broadcaster, the Sunday Independent and City Press reported.

The papers added that Gosa also accused her former colleagues of being lax on corporate governance.

City Press reported that Gosa said there was a "downward spiral on issues of corporate governance" at the corporation as well as clear violations of the Public Finance Management Act.

Gosa resigned from the board on December 1, citing frustration over the failure of the board to act on the recommendations of four separate forensic reports.

The reports found irregularities relating to the commissioning of programmes, unauthorised expenditure and free distribution of SABC educational material, among others, and suggested urgent board action against the alleged culprits.

The Sunday Independent said the matter had not come up at recent board meetings despite requests from Gosa that they be debated.

Gosa was a non-executive member of the board and sat on several committees, including remuneration, finance and audit.

She also claimed that some board members were being overpaid and that some were "allegedly pitching up for work at the SABC, compromising their oversight role".

The paper said she had submitted a dossier to Auditor-General Shauket Fakie.

City Press added Gosa had also sent her letter of resignation to President Thabo Mbeki, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe Casaburri and Mpetjane Lekgoro, chairman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications.

SABC chairman Eddie Funde confirmed her resignation to both papers, telling the Sunday Independent: "We find it disturbing that Gosa's departure is accompanied by a range of unsubstantiated and incorrect allegations against the board, which question our collective and individual integrity."

Funde said it was not right to say there had been no action on the reports - they were with the SABC's lawyers and SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu had been requested to ensure the board could resolve the issues at its next meeting.

Funde told City Press Gosa was herself under investigation.

Lekgoro said Gosa's allegations were serious and he would give the matter attention when it came before him and the committee.

Gosa also fell foul of her colleagues in September when she ordered then SABC spokesperson Paul Setsetse to apologise for not showing Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka being heckled at a Woman's Day rally the month before.

The apology stated that the cameraman assigned to the event arrived late and did not film the heckling, but an e.tv report later showed the cameraman had been present at the relevant time.

As a non-executive member of the board Gosa reportedly had no authority to give operational instructions to SABC staff. - Sapa

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