The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed the inclusion of former South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) Head of News Phathiswa Magopeni in the newly appointed board of the public broadcaster. President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday appointed the 12-member non-executive board after leaving the SABC 6 months without a board in what the DA said was done deliberately because of his dislike for Magopeni.
The party’s Communications Shadow Minister Dianne Kohler Barnard said the president gave in to its pressure and that of Parliament and civil society groups.
“Parliament voted and agreed unanimously to the list of candidates on 6 December 2022, and the President continued to delay the process for a further 133 days without any legal entitlement to do so.
“It is because of this delay that he currently finds himself front and centre of a Constitutional Court application by civil society for failing to perform his Constitutional duties. As a result, the DA particularly welcomes her appointment. We trust she will do an exemplary job after her shoddy treatment by the ANC,” said Kohler Barnard.
According to Barnard, the Board has a massive mountain to climb, with debts increasing exponentially, and the contracts of the CEO, COO and CFO due to expire in a month. The president appointed Khathutshelo Ramukumba as the chairperson of the board and Nomvuyiso Batyi as the deputy chairperson. In a statement, the president said the SABC is a vital institution of the country’s constitutional democracy.
He further said he trusts that the newly appointed board members will work hard at ensuring that South Africa continues to benefit from a stable, independent and effective national public broadcaster.
Some of the members include:
- Dr. Renee Horne
- Adv Tseliso Thipanyane
- Mr Khathutshelo Ramukumba
- Ms. Nomvuyiso Batyi
- Ms Phathiswa Magopeni
- Ms. Aifheli Makhwanya
- Ms Magdalene Moonsamy
- Ms. Rearabetsoe Motaung