Mbeki ‘should sort SABC crisis’
AS THE drama at the public broadcaster continues, African National Congress (ANC) president Jacob Zuma yesterday broke his silence saying that “the man who is still in charge” — President Thabo Mbeki — should “take responsibility” for the crisis at Auckland Park.
In an interview with Business Day, Zuma said while the ANC had noted the continuing problems at the broadcaster, the party was “not the state” and that it could not remove the SABC board or interfere with processes.
“I am not the president of the country and it’s important for the ANC not to operate as if there is no government,” Zuma said.
Responding to questions about whether he supported calls by the South African Communist Party (SACP) for Mbeki to step down before his term ends next year, Zuma said that the ANC did not agree with the SACP position on removing Mbeki. But he said any ANC member was “free to express themselves” on the issue because the ANC was a democratic organisation.
The SACP cited the continuing crisis at the SABC as one of the areas in which Mbeki had failed to provide leadership.
Mbeki had appointed the board that has been accused of being responsible for the crisis at the SABC.
Zuma said civil society also needed to take responsibility to “speak out” against what was happening at Auckland Park.
“You guys should be raising your concerns too and saying that it is unacceptable for the public broadcaster to descend to this ‘circus’, as you put it.”
Zuma, however, expressed confidence in the parliamentary process under way, which is aimed at finding a way to end the deadlock. Parliament’s communications portfolio committee has proposed an amendment to the Broadcasting Act to ensure tougher oversight of the SABC board.
If the amendment eventually gets adopted it would open the way to dissolve the board should Parliament pass a vote of no confidence in it.
Mbeki appointed the controversial SABC board and included several of his close allies against the wishes of many ANC MPs and the party’s leftist allies. At the time of the selection process ANC backbenchers went public about how they were railroaded by the executive into accepting certain candidates for the board.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions also threatened to litigate, saying the board was not broadly representative of society and was skewed in favour of business.
Mbeki’s decision to sign on the board came within days of him being trumped by Zuma in their battle for the ANC presidency in December.
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