The SABC is “bleeding†and desperate measures are needed to restore its
credibility, the public broadcaster’s group executive committee said, write Werner Swart and Khethiwe Mabena in The Times.
In a bold move on yet another day of high drama involving the SABC board and its chief executive officer, Dali Mpofu, the executive committee held a press conference on the steps of the main entrance to the broadcaster’s headquarters in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The committee demanded the immediate resignation of the SABC board.
The call came a few hours after the Johannesburg High Court dismissed with costs the board’s application for leave to appeal against a court ruling that Mpofu’s suspension was unlawful.
Judge Moroa Tsoka said: “I am unpersuaded that there are grounds for leave to appeal as I have dealt with the matter in depth.â€ÂÂ
Mpofu was suspended on May 7, a few hours after he suspended the corporation’s news boss, Snuki Zikalala, for allegedly leaking a memorandum about the chief executive’s alleged mismanagement to the Sunday Times.
Mpofu challenged his suspension and the court ruled in his favour last month.
Sipho Sithole, the SABC’s head of group strategy and risk, read a statement by the committee in which it said it believed the suspension of Mpofu was attributable to “ulterior and improper motives which have nothing to do with the best interests of the SABCâ€ÂÂ.
SABC staff came out in support of the statement and circulated a petition against the “unfair treatment†of Mpofu.
While the media frenzy continued outside, Mpofu was back in his office preparing for today’s budget vote in parliament.
The statement by the committee read: “The sentiments expressed privately by certain non-executives throughout this crisis have clearly demonstrated that it has been orchestrated and driven mainly by two or three individual members of the board, who harbour certain personal animosity towards [Mpofu].â€ÂÂ
Click here to read the full story, posted on the Times website.
