SABC board selection process outlined

File photo: Independent Media

File photo: Independent Media

Published Aug 16, 2017

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The parliamentary committee tasked with interviewing candidates to serve on the SABC’s permanent board wants to wrap up its work just before the term of office for the interim board expires.

“If Parliament rises and we are not done, we will simply approach Parliament and continue. If we can focus on this thing and finish, the interim board goes and others come in,” communications portfolio chairman Humphrey Maxegwana said yesterday.

“I think we must not fail on this one. There must be no gap. There must be no delay caused by us as the committee,” Maxegwana said.

He made these comments when the committee met to discuss the processes to be followed on the shortlisting of people nominated to serve on the SABC board.

The committee received a total of 363 applications by the June 30 deadline. The names of the applicants will not be released until after the shortlist has been completed next week.

The committee members were only handed the CVs of the applicants three days ago.

“You will understand that putting together the CVs of 363 applicants, and to circulate them to all the members, is an administrative nightmare,” he said.

The ANC’s Sisisi Tolashe was pleased with the number of applications, which she ascribed to the work of the ad hoc committee on the SABC, members of the current interim board and of the portfolio committee on communications, who sent out a message that “we want to have the best board this time”.

“Without their efforts, we would not have had the number of people who showed interest in serving on the board,” Tolashe said.

During the meeting, the parliamentarians agreed that out of the 363 who applied, only 36 would be shortlisted for interviews.

It was agreed that the names of shortlisted candidates would be published on Parliament’s website, together with their CVs. The public will have five working days to make comments to Parliament.

Parliament will undertake security clearance of the shortlisted candidates and verification of their qualifications before the interviews.

The DA’s Phumzile van Damme backed the publishing of the CVs on the website, in line with the Broadcasting Act, which emphasises an open and transparent process.

“We must give the public and civil society the opportunity to comment on these candidates. This is the process followed with the public protector. Civil society organisations have resources we don’t have, so they can assist us with research and to gather information about the candidates,” she said.

The DA’s Gavin Davis welcomed the move to vet the candidates so as to avoid the repeat of appointing someone such as the former board chairperson Ellen Tshabalala, who falsified her qualifications.

“We want to avoid a repetition of that. I’m glad the point was made in the presentation. Each candidate will be vetted,” Davis said.

His sentiments were echoed by the ANC’s Moses Tseli, who said: “Obviously we can’t avoid the vetting process.”

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