Question NW1791 to the Minister of Communications
17 September 2020 - NW1791
Van Damme, Ms PT to ask the Minister of Communications
(1) What (a) is the total number of cases that were investigated by the forensic unit of the SA Broadcasting Corporation in the past two financial years up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (b) are the amounts involved in each case and (c) number of cases resulted in (i) disciplinary action, (ii) criminal procedures and (iii) is the stated deadline for conclusion of each case where disciplinary procedures were instituted; (2) whether any of the specified cases led to no action whatsoever; if not, why not; if so, (a) what number of cases, (b) why has no action been instituted in respect of the specified cases and (c) on what date will the investigation be concluded in this regard?
Reply:
I have been advised by SABC as follows:
a) A total of 34 cases were investigated in 2018/19 and 32 in 2019/20.
b) Annexure A is attached which contains the details of amounts for each case
c) (i and ii)
|
Items |
2018/19 FY |
2019/20 FY |
|
Disciplinary Actions |
23 |
16 |
|
Criminal Procedures |
None |
1 |
c) (iii) While the SABC endeavours to conclude disciplinary actions within 90 days, actual timelines tend to be longer due to a variety of factors. These include lack of corporation by those implicated to speedily engage in the process and the availability of Chairpersons, Initiators, Panel members of the disciplinary committees. There are ongoing efforts to implement the outstanding recommendations by the end of this financial year.
2. No action taken.
a) No action taken against individuals emanated from 8 cases from 2018/19 and from 10 cases from 2019/20.
b) This is due to the fact that the recommendations from the investigations were made only in respect of the systems of internal control.
c)Management decided not to pursue the recommended actions from the Forensic Audit report due to a difference in interpretation of the root cause of the internal control failure.
MS. STELLA NDABENI-ABRAHAMS, MP
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES