Johannesburg - Communications Minister Faith Muthambi can expect a grilling on the embattled SABC when she appears before Parliament on Tuesday, in what is expected to be fully packed week in the National Assembly.
Muthambi will brief Parliament’s oversight committee on communications on Public Protector Thuli Madonsela’s report on the SABC. There will be about 20 committees sitting on the day.
Also on the agenda is SABC chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala, who allegedly misrepresented the qualifications on her CV. Last week it was revealed in the portfolio committee that Parliament would look into the allegations that Tshabalala may have misrepresented her qualifications.
This is the second such incident over qualifications to rock the public broadcaster after it came to light that chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng did not possess a matric.
According to portfolio committee chairwoman Joyce Moloi-Moropa, the committee deemed it “fair and proper to afford Tshabalala an opportunity to respond to these allegations”.
“As the committee we are obligated by law to ensure fairness and impartiality when dealing with any allegations, including these ones,” said Moloi-Moropa.
She said much work had already been done with the parliamentary legal services unit on the Tshabalala matter.
DA communications spokesman Gavin Davis said after a “slow start”, it was “encouraging” to know that the matter was being taken seriously by Moloi-Meropa and Parliament’s legal unit. The committee meeting follows a meeting between Madonsela and Muthambi in Pretoria last week.
In a joint statement, the two said the meeting was in connection with the investigation into the alleged irregular appointment of Motsoeneng as permanent COO of the SABC “as well as other matters of mutual concern”.
The Star