All eyes have been on the Judicial Service Commission’s (JSC) scrutiny of candidates for the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, but parliament’s examination of SABC board candidates has gone largely unnoticed.
This is unfortunate, since both the media and the judiciary are key to ensuring we have a fair election in 2024. Given the prospect of the ANC losing its majority, this will be a testing time for independent institutions of accountability, of which these two are among the most important.
There are certainly some in the ANC who bemoan the idea of independence and who wish to see cadre deployment carried out with intent. Among other parties there are those who use these opportunities to reward individuals who have favoured them, regardless of merit.
While there has been criticism of the ANC’s deployment policy, the EFF is even sharper in favouring judges who have ruled for the party, and rubbishing those who have gone against it.
But it is impossible to have free and fair elections without an independent SABC, which is the source of news and information for most South Africans, particularly those with limited access to alternative sources.
The Zondo state capture inquiry made clear the damage done to the fabric of our society and economy when critical appointments to state institutions are made for reasons other than merit and qualification.
In the case of the SABC there is a fundamental flaw in that conducting interviews and making recommendations is done by a parliamentary committee — politicians under the command of all-powerful parties. This in a society that has little remaining trust in politicians to serve the public interest rather than party-political aims, particularly when so much is at stake.
The JSC is sadly dominated by party manoeuvring and political showboating, but at least this is offset by some professional representation on the panel. In other contested contentious appointments in his command — such as for the head of the SA Revenue Service — the president has wisely used independent panels to ensure more credible appointments.
The SABC has just started on its road to journalistic and financial recovery after the Zuma years, when the ANC imposed some of the most malign characters on both the board and management. The institution has lost its core financial strength and shed audience as fast as the ANC has shed votes. It has at least been stabilised in recent months by an effective board and better journalistic leadership than it has had in a while.
There were 120 nominations for the board, and 37 were shortlisted (generally meaning they had the support of more than one party) for the eight nonexecutive positions. From these eight a mix of managerial, media and journalism experience is needed — along with the strength to withstand political and populist pressures and stick to the public service core of the job.
It is not a post for the faint-hearted, as being a board member requires some tough decisions under close public scrutiny. For example, the outgoing board inherited such a financial mess that it had to do large-scale retrenchments and came under immense political and emotional pressure as a result. In one of the low points of SABC journalism reporters even aired their grievances on air during an interview with a government figure.
Among the contentious candidates this time around are two journalists who have shown their commitment to independence and public service but who left the organisation recently under a cloud. They are Phathiswa Magopeni, who was ousted as head of news in 2021, and Thandeka Gqubule, former economics editor, who left while facing disciplinary action. It would be unusual for former employees who nurse personal grievances to be upgraded to board members.
As always, the selection will be a test for the determination to deal with allegations of corruption, as at least one candidate — current deputy chair Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi — faces such accusations. Red flags are flying. Communications & digital technologies minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni’s recent threat to have the outgoing board declared delinquent because they were late with a report appears to have been a shot across the bows of the incoming board, asserting her authority and perhaps prejudicing the reappointment of some existing members.
With just a few days before the current board’s term comes to an end, it appears unlikely that the new one will be appointed in time. Apparently this is because the State Security Agency’s vetting system “is not working”. Sigh.
This means either a hiatus or the appointment of an interim board — both of which would result in uncertainty and instability a fragile SABC can do without.
• Harber is executive director of the Campaign for Free Expression and Caxton professor of journalism at Wits University.
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