Cape Town - Communications Minister Faith Muthambi is in hot water with Parliament after MPs were angered by her decision to strip the SABC board and its executive management of key decision-making powers.
MPs agreed on Tuesday to haul her before the portfolio committee on communications over the saga.
Muthambi tabled the memorandum of incorporation late last year that gave her wide-ranging executive powers.
The opposition said the memorandum gives the minister powers to take complete control of the SABC and usurp the powers of the board and executive management.
Chairwoman of the portfolio committee on communications Joyce Moloi-Moropa told members of the committee that Muthambi would appear before them in the first week of next month on this matter.
Moloi-Moropa said this was an important issue for the committee and Parliament as an institution.
It was reported last week that Muthambi had decided to give herself powers to overrule the SABC board on the appointment of top executives at the public broadcaster.
She can now change decisions to appoint the chief executive, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.
In terms of the memorandum of incorporation, the minister would have powers to approve the business and strategic plans of the public broadcaster.
She would also recommend the removal of board members.
Muthambi also wants to cut down the number of members of the board from 15 to seven. The current structure has 12 non-executive directors and three executive directors.
But in the reviewed body there would be six non-executive members of the board and one executive member.
Muthambi’s actions have been challenged in court by the Save Our SABC Coalition and other stakeholders. The coalition has described her actions as the hostile takeover of the public broadcaster.
Moloi-Moropa told MPs that this matter would be discussed at the meeting on March 2.
DA MP Gavin Davies said he was pleased that the minister would be held accountable for her decision.
“I am pleased that the memorandum of incorporation will be discussed at this meeting. I would want the board also to be there,” he said.
Davies said the presence of the board was important be-cause it directly impacted on them and their function.
Moloi-Moropa said it would not be a problem to invite the board.
Muthambi has been under fire for several months, since taking the reins at the new department, after her endorsement of the appointment of controversial chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
The board has had three resignations since it was appointed 18 months ago.
First to hit the road was former deputy chairwoman of the interim board Noluthando Gosa. She quit a few months after she was appointed to the new board.
Competition Commission chief Thembinkosi Bonakele resigned in July last year and Bongani Khumalo quit last month.
Khumalo’s resignation came amid claims that Muthambi had written to certain board members on why they should not be suspended.
Moloi-Moropa also announced at the meeting on Tuesday that interviews for shortlisted candidates, to fill the position of former chair-woman Zandile Ellen Tshabalala, would be held in Parliament next month.
Tshabalala resigned after it emerged she had lied about her qualifications.
Political Bureau