Former SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala is set to name a number of politicians who interfered in the running of the SABC in her report to Parliament.
This follows her confirmation to the national legislature that she would today make submissions to the ad hoc committee probing the public broadcaster.
The chairperson of the ad hoc committee, Vincent Smith, said Tshabalala would have to list the politicians who had interfered in the business of the corporation.
Tshabalala had initially singled out SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande as one politician who had interfered on SABC matters. But the SACP at the weekend warned Tshabalala that it would take legal action against her “for not telling the truth”.
It said Nzimande – as leader of the party – had raised issues about digital migration, and this did not constitute political interference.
Tshabalala had also told MPs during the hearings on the SABC on Friday that, other than Nzimande, both the ANC and DA had also been involved in political interference.
DA chief whip Mike Waters warned Tshabalala that she must not confuse accountability with political interference.
The committee said she must produce a list of politicians who were guilty of political interference. The committee gave her until today to make the submission.
During the hearings on Friday, Tshabalala and her then predecessor, Ben Ngubane, defended the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Ngubane left the SABC in March 2013 following infighting in the board. The board was subsequently dissolved by Parliament after almost all its members resigned.
It was succeeded by Tshabalala’s board, which was also mired in controversy and infighting. She quit in December 2015 after she was caught lying about her qualifications. She had claimed that she had a BComm degree from Unisa, but this was denied by the institution.
Tshabalala and Ngubane were the last witnesses to give evidence to the committee. Most of the witnesses, who were either executives at the SABC or non-executive directors of the board, have fingered Motsoeneng as the man at the centre of the controversy.
The report will be discussed by the committee later this week. It is expected to be part of the evidence to be included in the draft and final report of the committee.
The committee has another few weeks to go before it finishes its report, which will be tabled before the full sitting of the House.