Cape Town - Communications Minister Faith Muthambi threw beleaguered SABC chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala a bit of a lifeline on Tuesday, shielding her from “malicious” questions about her qualifications.
But that was not enough to prevent the portfolio committee on communications from adopting a recommendation that Tshabalala be suspended by the National Assembly with immediate effect, pending an inquiry.
The committee will submit its recommendation to the National Assembly on Wednesday for adoption. It will then be up to President Jacob Zuma to suspend her.
On Thursday next week, Tshabalala would also have to answer questions about her qualifications from the inquiry set up by the committee, chairwoman Joyce Moloi-Moropa said on Tuesday.
Before the committee decided to recommend that Tshabalala be suspended, members of the committee tried to pose a series of questions about her alleged misrepresentation of her academic qualifications.
Mbuyiseni Ndlozi (EFF) said the committee needed to be direct with Tshabalala.
“Ms Tshabalala, you are the anchor of moral legitimacy,” Ndlozi said.
“You are the anchor of making sure that in the SABC, these reports that we get out are not affecting our credibility, that people don’t fraudulently fix their qualifications.
“Do you or do you not have qualifications for the chair? Give us confidence here as members of Parliament and the rest of public. Let’s close the question here, what is your response? That is easy, that is how you solve problems in society. Are the claims false?”
Muthambi came to Tshabalala’s defence, saying the process to follow was laid out in the Broadcasting Act.
“I want to also come on this issue of the chairperson,” Muthambi said.
“Certain issues we need to clarify, chairperson, because it has been raised in a public space. I think it’s unfair to subject (Tshabalala) to this whereas there’s procedural aspects that need to be complied with in terms of the Broadcasting Act. We are here to deal with the third quarter report (of the SABC).”
Tshabalala also fended off questions directed at her, saying the inquiry process would deal with the matter.
“I think I will follow the process of Parliament in dealing with information. But I must also says that it is malicious to ask for a chairperson’s qualifications when the chairperson actually declared in Parliament what the problem was right from the beginning.
“I’m not saying Parliament is not deserving to know my qualifications, but Parliament deserves to know and I will honour whatever inquiry is deemed by Parliament.”
Ntuthuzelo Vanara, senior legal adviser to Parliament, said the committee had the right to make a recommendation to the National Assembly, which should adopt it.
“Then it will be up to the president to consider what he then does. Legally that is possible.”
Gavin Davis (DA) said after the meeting that the committee had agreed suspension was appropriate given the “prima facie” evidence that when Tshabalala applied to be a member of the SABC board, she had been untruthful about having a BCom and diploma in labour relations.
“The possibility that Ms Tshabalala could use her position to foment further disunity among board members was also cited as a reason for her to be suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry,” said Davis.
Political Bureau