SABC Board: interviews

COMMUNICATIONS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
22 August 2007
SABC BOARD: INTERVIEWS

Acting Chairperson: Mr G Oliphant (ANC)

Documents handed out:
None
 
Audio recording of meeting [Part1]&[Part2]

SUMMARY
The Committee had shortlisted 37 candidates, of whom five were interviewed during the meeting. Two of the interviewees were serving currently on the outgoing SABC board.

The current Board members were asked specific questions on the negative publicity that the SABC experienced, why they wished to continue to serve another term on the Board, their perceptions of the Commission of Enquiry, whether they were specifically aware of reports and allegations in relation to the matter, and what the Board had done and would do to try and address negative perceptions. They were further asked to comment upon the perceptions of bias specifically in relation to reporting on Zimbabwe, the actions taken to ensure compliance with the Public Finance Management Act, and to improve internal controls.

Those candidates not presently serving on the Board were asked similar questions, but were also asked to address their own particular skills that they could bring to the Board, what steps they would take to address increased showing of violence on television, their perception of the current problems at the Board and what they would do to address them. Further questions related to the involvement of those candidates on other Boards or in commercial enterprises. They were also asked to comment upon how the SABC could increase coverage of labour issues and investigative journalism.

In the afternoon session of the interviews three candidates were interviewed for positions on the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). The candidates were Ms Nadia Bubulia, Ms Zubeida Jaffer and Ms Gloria Serobe.  The questions asked for the interviewees’ appraisal of the current situation of the SABC, any problems that they could identify with the Board and how they would seek to address them if appointed, how they would address high levels of violence screened on television if appointed, their experience and membership on other Boards, their views of whether SABC should reflect society, or what society aspired to be, and their views on the current journalistic reporting. Further questions were addressed concerning political affiliations and the perceptions of bias, the candidates’ views on the gender balance and how they could improve the conditions of journalists, and the possibility of any conflicts of interest.

The Minutes record the questions, but full answers from the interviewees can be heard on the attached audio recordings.
 
MINUTES
Interview: Ms Libby Lloyd
The Chairperson welcomed Ms Libby Lloyd and reminded her of the process for SABC Board selection, but noted that she should be familiar with the process because she was a nominee before. The Chairperson requested Ms Lloyd to introduce herself and provide a brief background and why she accepted nomination for this position. 

Ms Lloyd mentioned that she had a journalism background with both local and international experience. She was involved in journalism training and radio training. She had assisted the SABC in developing their language policies. She mentioned that the post was a public service one and would require different skills and with her experience she would bring different skills.

Ms D Smuts (DA) was impressed that when the candidate was CEO of MDDA it had clean audits. She asked about the period when Ms Lloyd worked on the language policy and asked her impressions or ideas on language diversity of the SABC currently.

Ms S Vos referred to the quotation in Business Day about criticism, and asked, in light of Ms Lloyd's experience and insights to SABC, Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) and her public service experience, what were her thoughts on relations with government and other stakeholders, and how Ms Lloyd would fall into the SABC bearing in mind the perceptions that people had around the broadcaster. 

The Acting Chairperson mentioned that political interference was a broad matter. As an experienced journalist who had also trained other journalists, she was asked whether she regarded herself as partially responsible for the poor journalism in the country.. The Chairperson requested a profile of what was currently happening in broadcasting.

Mr R Pieterse (ANC) raised the concerns on the increase in size of the footprint, and his fear that the two extra channels were not addressing this issue. He asked how the process would go, whether or not it would be automatic or whether it was a more complicated challenge. Ms Pieterse was particularly concerned about the sub titles used in Muvhango. He said that the second largest group that watched Muvhango spoke Afrikaans yet the subtitles were in English. 

Ms M Morutoa (ANC) referred to gender sensitivity regarding media policies. She also asked what Ms Lloyd thought of children exposed on TV, especially relating to traditional programmes that exposed their bodies. Ms Morutoa asked what she would do regarding balancing gender equality with gender equity and the kind of contribution she would bring in this regard. 

Mr K Khumalo (ANC) asked if the candidate had any business relationship with any of the corporate institutions. Mr Khumalo mentioned the importance of maintaining diverse language views, and asked at what point they should reach a common identity as a country. He asked what the national trend or vision was that the broadcaster would be able to achieve.

Mr S Nxumalo (ANC) said that most of the time the poor people’s voices were not heard via the SABC, except when represented directly, and asked what change Ms Lloyd would bring about.

Ms L Yengeni (ANC) asked where the largest part of the candidate’s income came from.

The Acting Chairperson requested the other Boards on which the candidate was serving, and her relationship with the Link Centre. The Chairperson referred to Ms Lloyd’s statement that  South Africa should provide a definition of what public broadcasting meant, and he requested her perspective on what she though it should be..

Interview: Mr Bheki Khumalo
The Chairperson briefed Mr Bheki Khumalo on the process for SABC Board appointment. He asked for a brief introduction and his views on why he should be considered to serve on the SABC Board.

Mr Bheki Khumalo gave a brief history about his education, journalism background and his extensively written work in South Africa. He served on the Siemens Board and later joined SASOL. He also served nine Boards of the SASOL. Mr Khumalo said that he was a 20% owner in a company called Capital Edge. He could add value because his entire life was dedicated to media and communications, and he could add in international experience.

The Chairperson requested clarity on Capital Edge and asked whether that would cause conflict of interest and whether they were involved in broadcasting.

Ms Vos asked how much time he would have, looking at the other various commitments he had, of Group General Manager at SASOL, in addition to serving on nine SASOL Boards and if he would be available for the SABC Board meetings should he be elected.

Ms Vos asked if he would be able to put the past behind him, regarding his activitism in the country, and his close alignment to the Ministers and the President. She asked how he would apply himself without political affiliation or bias and not do anything to tarnish the reputation of the SABC.

Ms Vos asked about the various reports on the SABC situation, and the public perception and asked what problems Mr Khumalo foresaw, and how he would take the SABC forward in trying to address these issues.

Mr K Khumalo (ANC) asked on the media diversity of views and the candidate's opinion on news coverage in the country. He asked if the quality of news was sufficient.

 Mr Khumalo asked if the candidate had any relations with Bokamoso Investment Trust that had nominated him for SABC Board membership.

Mr Khumalo asked how he would handle publicity on the company he was chairing, together with any obligations to the Board of the SABC. 

Mr Pieterse mentioned that parallel to the good work of SABC, there had been negative perceptions, which received better coverage. Furthermore the SABC seemed to be stumbling from one crisis to another. He asked how the candidate would approach this matter.

Ms Smuts (DA) mentioned that she heard Mr Khumalo defending freedom of speech, and was pleased by his remarks on professionalism. She asked how he would deal with the perception of SABC as an independent body, and balance this against being spokesperson of the President. Ms Smuts asked what time would have lapsed since he had left the Presidency.

Mr S Nxumalo asked whether, if the candidate were to be appointed to the Board, he would remember the marginalized groups.

Mr R Mohlalonga (ANC) asked the kind of funding model that the public broadcaster would require. 

Mr Mohlalonga mentioned that the candidate’s previous experience could be useful to the Board. He asked how his experience with the SABC would assist in programming matters. He requested his views on the conceptualisation of public broadcaster, and what should be done in adhering to the public mandate.

Ms Yengeni mentioned that there were perceptions that the SABC was not critical on the views relating to the President. She continued to state that there was a documentary on the President that the SABC did not broadcast which was perceived to be politically biased.

Ms Yengeni asked what Mr Khumalo would have contributed if he were a member of the Board at that time or would do in changing that perception and how he would show the public that he was independent although there was a perception that he supported the President.

The meeting was adjourned for lunch.

Interview: Ms Nadia Bubulia
The Chairperson asked Ms Bubulia to give a background to herself. He then asked how she would appraise the current situation of the SABC, including the state of the existing Board.

Ms D Smuts (DA) pointed out that when the legislation was introduced to cater for regional areas there had been some doubts expressed as to whether it would be viable, given a certain advertising base in those regions, and in specific languages. The legislation at that time had included reference to having to secure funding. Now that the SABC would be digitizing, and as a result having a larger frequency, she asked if Ms Bubulia felt that any of the economic considerations underlying the thinking at the time had changed. 

Ms Smuts also asked for the views of Ms Bubulia on independent productions not owning the rights to their work.

Ms S Vos (IFP) asked, with regard to the other boards on which Ms Bubulia had served, what lessons she had learnt while working on them. 

Mr K Khumalo (ANC) spoke about the high level of violent content during time slots that were set aside for children.  He asked, if she were to become a board member, what she would do on this issue.

He then pointed out that there was a lot of typecasting and stereotyping on television.  He asked her opinion on this issue.

Ms L Yengeni (ANC) said that it was difficult for people in rural areas to get some of the SABC radio and TV channels.  She asked what Ms Bubulia would contribute to resolving this problem.

The Chairperson asked whether any of the consultancy work she was currently doing would be affected if she were to become a board member.

He also asked how many boards she served on.

He also asked what her particular interest or focus area would be if she was asked to be on the Board.

Interview: Ms Zubeida Jaffer
The Chairperson asked Ms Jaffer to give a brief synopsis of her background and experience and to tell the committee why she felt she should be appointed to the Board.

Ms Vos asked Ms Jaffer to clarify what she meant by “clear messages about journalistic professionalism”, which she had spoken about when answering the first question.

She also asked what Ms Jaffer had learned during her time as Parliamentary editor, what messages she felt needed to be applied in the context of critical reporting, and how she would relate it to the SABC.

Mr R Pieterse (ANC) asked if she served in any boards and if they were private or parastatals.

He pointed out that in broadcasting there were many interest groups that needed to be satisfied.  He then asked, with regards to broadcasting, if she thought that the SABC should reflect society or portray what society should aspire to be.

The Chairperson asked if she thought the SABC sufficiently reflected society.

The Chairperson asked her how she earned.

Ms Yengeni asked Ms Jaffer, as an experienced journalist in a democratic South Africa, what her analysis of the reporting style of print and electronic media was.

She also asked how Ms Jaffer found the attitudes of the media towards the government.

She asked what her understanding of political interference was.

Mr Khumalo asked if she was an office bearer of any political party or affiliated to any political party.

He then asked what she, as a board member, would do to improve the lives and/or compensation of journalists.

He asked, with regard to gender, how she would improve the situation for women in media if she were to be appointed as a member of the SABC board..

Ms M Morutoa (ANC) asked how Ms Jaffer, if appointed to the Board, would contribute to the improvement of content on the SABC, and also how she would address the violent content in children’s programmes.

She pointed out that Ms Jaffer’s CV stated that she spoke English Afrikaans and some Xhosa.  She asked if Ms Jaffer felt that this ability was important and if she felt it would help her if she was to become a board member

She then asked if she would be comfortable working in a collective environment.

Ms Gloria Serobe
The Chairperson asked the candidate to give a brief background to herself, and to state why she believed she could contribute to the Board, and what specific role she saw for herself on the Board.

He also asked which boards she currently participated in as a Board Member.

Mr Pieterse asked if any of the Boards she sat on or their subsidiaries were connected to the SABC.

He added that business side of the SABC was crucial but he had fears that it would conflict with the creative side of the organisation.  He asked her to address his concerns on this issue.

Ms Smuts pointed out that Telkom would be moving into broadcasting.  Since Ms Serobe was a shareholder of Telkom she asked whether she would foresee any conflict of interest, even though it may not be direct.

Mr S Nxumalo (ANC) said that business understanding was important.  He asked her to state her views of the business framework in which the SABC was working.  He cited an example of the PSL and Supersport issue, and asked for her specific comment.

Ms Yengeni asked how many board sub-committees Ms Serobe sat on.

Ms Vos pointed out that Ms Serobe was a member of the Presidential Economic Advisory Committee as well as the Chairperson of the Presidential Working Group for Women.  She asked if these organisations dealt with issues around public broadcasting.

Mr Nxumalo asked if she would have the time to be a member of the SABC board considering that she was so involved in other committees and was obviously very busy.

Mr Khumalo asked what she would see as her particular strengths that she could offer to the Board, in the light of her accounting and financial background.

He also asked if she was familiar with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and the International Financial Regulatory System.

The next interviews were scheduled for Tuesday 28 August 2007.

The meeting was adjourned.