ATC220316: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on the filling of a vacancy on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board, dated 15 March 2022
Communications and Digital Technologies
Report of the Portfolio Committee on Communications on the filling of a vacancy on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Board, dated 15 March 2022
The Portfolio Committee on Communications (the Committee), having considered the request from the Minster of Communications and Digital Technologies to fill a vacancy on the SABC Board, reports as follows:
A letter dated 22 July 2020 was received from the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies (i) informing the National Assembly of the resignation of Ms Bernedette Muthien from the Board of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and (ii) requesting the National Assembly to recommend, in accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act No 4 of 1999), a suitable candidate to fill the above-mentioned vacancy for the unexpired portion of the period for which the vacating Board member had been appointed.
The Committee considered the letter from the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies and resolved that the Secretariat proceed with the process of publishing an advertisement in the media calling for the nomination of persons to fill a vacancy on the SABC Board. The advertisement was published in all eleven South African official languages in two national newspapers, two regional newspapers and seven community media newspapers. Sixty-nine nominations were received.
The Committee further established a seven-member Subcommittee (4 x African National Congress, 1 x Democratic Alliance, 1 x Economic Freedom Fighters and 1 x Inkatha Freedom Party) to oversee the process of filling the vacancy on the SABC Board and report back to it.
On 31 August 2021, the Subcommittee met to consider the criteria and skills required to fill the vacancy and unanimously recommended that the Committee approve the following shortlisted candidates: Mr Mpho Tsedu; Dr Nombeko Mbava; Ms Nalini Maharaj; Ms Barbara Sangweni; Dr Renee Horne and Ms Senamile Masango.
On 1 September 2021, the Committee adopted the recommendation of the Subcommittee. The candidates were interviewed on Friday, 3 September 2021, with the exception of Dr Nombeko Mbava, who withdrew from the process following her appointment to the Financial and Fiscal Commission. All the qualifications of the candidates were verified with Parliament’s Human Resources Unit and personnel suitability checks were conducted by the State Security Agency (SSA).
On 10 March 2022, the Subcommittee met and deliberated on the interviews and unanimously agreed to recommend to the Committee that Dr Renee Horne be appointed to fill the vacancy on the SABC Board.
On 15 March 2022, the Committee met to consider the recommendation of the Subcommittee. The Committee unanimously recommends that the National Assembly approve the name of Dr Renee Horne for appointment to the SABC Board for the unexpired portion of the period for which the vacating Board member had been appointed which ends 26 September 2022.
Report to be considered.