When a new SABC Board was appointed in September, after a year of
turbulence and mass resignations, questions and controversy over the
appointment process were already fixed in South Africans’ minds.
For opposition parties, the credibility of the process was marred by what they
believed to be the rubber-stamping of the ruling party’s list, while for South
Africans, more broadly; it was by questions of its representativeness. Whatever
the case (like with anything new) there still remains the hope for a renewal in
the Board’s integrity, transparency and accountability.
Unfortunately for the SABC; when it rains it pours. In November, Noluthando
Gosa who has served on four SABC Boards resigned. This was not only a
surprise; it also raised a lot of internal structural issues that the SABC needs to
address. She was chair of the board for just seven weeks and then realised that
she had other commitments that prevented her from giving the SABC the best
she could. The question then arises, why was her nomination accepted if she
was clearly over committed? Shouldn’t it be principle that skilled, ready and
committed individuals should be the only ones considered?
One can then easily argue that perhaps there is a need for a new appointment
process, because clearly the one that is being used currently is not bringing the
necessary stability the SABC needs. This argument has been made by many who
believe the key to ending this cycle at the SABC is the review of all policies
governing the SABC and most importantly policies around the appointment of its
board and executive.
Unfortunately, Ms Gosa’s resignation has in one way or another undermined
what little public confidence the SABC Board could hope to garner. For one, the
reasons behind her resignation were not made public by the President who
appointed her. This was a significant problem because it is the people of South
Africa that the SABC Board members represent and serve, and not the President
who merely appoints them on our behalf. This lack of transparency ultimately
undermines the public trust in the SABC. This lack of trust translates into the
public’s unwillingness to offer any type of support to the SABC, be it by paying
their TV licenses or showing some level of ownership towards the SABC.
With one of the biggest challenges of the SABC being public trust and public
accountability, it is crucial to underscore the importance of both preserving and
strengthening the integrity of the public process through which the SABC Board
is appointed. Central to this is ensuring that skilled, ready and committed
individuals of high integrity can be attracted to and be retained by the Board in
the service of the people of South Africa. In addition it is critical that the Board is
transparent and publicly accountable if it is to improve its standing among all
South Africans, whom it serves.
Carol Mohlala is the coordinator of the SOS: Support Public Broadcasting
Coalition. Follow them on Twitter @soscoalition and on Facebook. Visit:
www.soscoalition.org.za.
