Opposition parties have expressed concern that President Thabo Mbeki
will likely use his power to appoint lawyer Christine Qunta as chairman
of the SABC’s next board after she made it onto the final shortlist of
12 names recommended by the National Assembly’s communications
committee, writes Linda Ensor in Business Day.
The National Assembly will debate and approve the list tomorrow after which it will be sent for presidential endorsement.
Qunta, who was deputy chairman in the outgoing board, has been widely tipped to take over from Eddie Funde, who withdrew his nomination shortly before he was due to be interviewed at the end of last month.
Her short-listing was apparently vehemently opposed by the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions.
Parliament’s communications portfolio committee yesterday approved the shortlist of 12 names from a list of 37 (drawn from 143 nominations) after an extensive period of interviews with each candidate.
Six current members of the SABC board, including Qunta, have been selected again, despite accusations that the board has been ineffective in maintaining the political independence and integrity of the public broadcaster. The others are Alison Gilwald, Andile Mbeki, Fadila Lagadien, Khanyisile Mkhonza and Ashwin Trikamjee.
The other six recommended by the communications committee are Nadia Bulbulia, Desmond Golding, advertising executive Peter Vundla, Bheki Khumalo, Gloria Serobe, and Pansy Tlakula of the Independent Electoral Commission.
Click here to read the full report, posted on Business Day's website.
