SABC is dysfunctional: Communications minister
Communications Minister Faith Muthambi says the SABC is “dysfunctional and requires urgent attention,” according to a report by BD Live.
Muthambi made the statement during a joint meeting of Parliament’s portfolio committees on communications, telecommunications and postal services on Friday, 4 July 2014.
Muthambi told MPs that she had instructed the SABC to respond to a damning report by the public protector criticising the SABC’s acting chief operations officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, for fraudulently misrepresenting his qualifications and irregularly raising the salary of several employees.
“They will be submitting a report to me on July 20 so that I can satisfy myself that there is full compliance with the public protector’s report,” she said, adding that the SABC required her “urgent attention” and an intervention.
“Whatever the intervention is, it must recognise that the SABC is a public broadcaster and must act independently from government. We need a balanced approach to deal with this problem. We want an SABC that performs on its mandate — this task is urgent ,” she said.
Following calls from Motsoeneng that journalist should require a license to practice – which raised the ire of freedom of speech advocates – Muthambi said the SABC would continue to report on both the “good work” government did, along with maladministration.
More on the SABC
SABC COO laughs as MPs call for his suspension
Journalists have it in for black govt: SABC COO
Loading ...