Massive debts and a spate of top-level resignations have pushed South Africa’s public broadcaster to near-collapse, threatening a network once styled as the voice of the country’s democracy.<\/p>\n
The resignation of eight of the SABC’s 12 board members as well as its chairperson in recent weeks are just the latest in a string of scandals plaguing the debt-ridden broadcaster.<\/p>\n
The board no longer has enough members to take binding decisions. Workers are on strike over a pay dispute, independent producers fume over lack of payment and a deadlock over how to proceed means no decisions are being taken at any level.<\/p>\n
“If the board does not function, the SABC does not function. The legal constraints and protection of its own statutes (mean) that if the board does not meet, the SABC literally grinds to a halt,” said board member Alison Gillwald.<\/p>\n
She was addressing parliament’s communications committee, which on Thursday opened an inquiry into what committee chair Ismael Vadi termed a “lack of effective corporate governance.”<\/p>\n
Gillwald said members had resigned in the middle of an incomplete audit process. The hamstrung board cannot now take decisions on salary increases or on critical expenditure for coverage of the 2010 football World Cup.<\/p>\n
The SABC is crippled by over R800 million in debt and is seeking a two billion rand cash injection from the government.<\/p>\n
Newspaper reports have outlined R40 million owed to producers, threatening to sink popular local soap operas, the network’s bread-and-butter advertising vehicles.<\/p>\n
Even parliament seems unsure how to proceed, with the committee struggling to agree whether the enquiry should continue and where the blame lay for the rot at the SABC.<\/p>\n
Opposition parties and the ANC were united in slamming the SABC for what they say is outlandish spending and failure to perform its function.<\/p>\n
Parliament will summon more board members to explain themselves so they could decide whether to dissolve the board, or appoint interim members to salvage the network.<\/p>\n
“It is haemorrhaging from every pore,” Gillwald said. “It is unable to perform its basic duties.”<\/p>\n