Parliament – The SACP has been drawn into the alleged political meddling at the SABC, with former board chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala placing the party at the centre of attempts to influence some of the board’s questionable business dealings.
Tshabalala, who was testifying before a parliamentary inquiry into the affairs of the public broadcaster on Friday, wagged her finger at SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande and his party as among those who had a hand in “gross political interference” in the affairs of the public broadcaster.
“When I joined in 2013, before I was even a week in the position, we received a call from the communist party by the then-spokesperson
“He was asking me to support (then communications) minister (Yunus) Carrim on agreeing on encryption and I said but how do you get involved,” Tshabalala said.
Tshabalala took over as chairperson of the board in 2013 following the resignation of Ben Ngubane, who also testified at the inquiry on Friday.
She served until her resignation in 2015 after allegations surfaced that she had lied about having a BCom degree.
On the question of whether set-top boxes – to be rolled out as part of South Africa’s move from analogue broadcasting technology to digital technologies – would be encrypted or decrypted, Tshabalala said it was a technical and not a political issue.
The SACP denied any involvement in political interference at the SABC, and pointed out that it was instead trying to ensure that South Africa did not lag behind the rest of Africa when it came to the move from analogue broadcast technology to digital.
At issue, said SACP second deputy general secretary Solly Mapaila, was whether encrypted or unencrypted technology was to be used.
Using unencrypted technology would have meant MultiChoice holding a monopoly. He said the party was also concerned that a subsidiary of MultiChoice would have been bringing in the encrypted set top boxes from overseas, rather than the devices being manufactured in locally.
“The inquiry is bringing to the fore the truth; we just hope that those implicated will face action,” he said.
Tshabalala said the board she chaired received pressure from those in political circles. She was asked why her evidence clashed with that of Ngubane, who denied any political influence in the decisions of the board.
“We were inundated with politicians asking us to support this encryption there is gross interference” she said.
Tshabalala chaired a meeting in July 2014 where board members clashed on the permanent appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer, despite former public protector Thuli Madonsela finding he had lied about having matric and that his salary was irregularly adjusted several times.
Earlier, Ngubane denied there was any political interference into the affairs of the SABC. He said Motsoeneng did not receive any protection from President Jacob Zuma. “There is no protection Mr Motsoeneng or we (the former board) get from the president,” said Ngubane.
He defended his tenure as board chairman, and Motsoeneng.
Asked about his relationship with the controversial Gupta family, Ngubane told MPs he was not comfortable answering any questions on this, as allegations of state capture contained in Madonsela’s last report before her tenure ended were being taken on review.
In that report, several allegations are made about the Guptas being given preferential treatment by the Eskom board, of which Ngubane is chairman.
DA MP Phumzile van Damme inferred that whenever Ngubane moved to a new board, the Gupta family would follow.
Gupta company, The New Age (TNA) newspaper, has an agreement with the SABC in which it televises TNA breakfast briefings.
Ngubane denied Motsoeneng had initiated the process of using SABC resources to broadcast the briefings, and blamed former head of news Phil Molefe.
Asked whether he had ever met with a member of the Gupta family or one of their representatives, he said: “When we began participating in the breakfast briefings, I think I gave about three or four opening remarks at Water Affairs and other departments.
“I used to sit at the table with executives of TNA.
“I did not bring the Guptas to the SABC.”
On the public protector’s adverse findings against his leadership and Motsoeneng’s, he said: “This report is created out of statements I was not asked to corroborate My view is that this country is in trouble. People hate each other.
“They group people into camps; you are in the wrong camp so I take you out, that’s how I view the public protector’s report.”