Mpofu: SABC 'broke rules'

Supended SABC group CEO Dali Mpofu’s lawyer told the Johannesburg High
Court yesterday that the public broadcaster’s board broke corporate
governance rules when it suspended Mpofu, writes Ernest Mabuza in Business Day.

Speaking during Mpofu’s urgent application to set aside his suspension, Vincent Maleka said the board had no power to suspend his client.

Mpofu was suspended by the SABC board hours after he had suspended SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala.

It also emerged in court yesterday from Tim Bruinders, representing the SABC board, that Zikalala has also launched a court action against the broadcaster. He did not elaborate.

Mpofu was suspended on May 7, only hours after he suspended Zikalala the previous afternoon . Mpofu’s suspension is on the grounds that he failed to implement decisions of the board.

Maleka yesterday challenged Mpofu’s suspension and asked the court to declare that the meeting of the SABC board that was held on May 6 be declared unlawful because it was not properly constituted.

Maleka said the board acted unlawfully when it suspended Mpofu as it did not have the power to do so. Maleka said the board recommended the executive appointees to the communications minister and did not appoint them.

“Where the statute is silent on who has the power to dismiss but has conferred power to appoint, it is clear that the minister has the power to suspend.”

Click here to read the full report, posted on Business Day's website.