No consensus on influence of minister at SABC
Communications Minister Faith Muthambi File photo: Phando Jikelo Communications Minister Faith Muthambi File photo: Phando Jikelo
The parliamentary ad hoc committee has failed to reach consensus on the exact role of Communications Minister Faith Muthambi in the processes of the SABC board.
The ANC has called for cool heads, saying they cannot be definitive or prescriptive on the role of the minister.
Opposition parties said on Thursday her role pointed to the infringement on board processes and direct interference.
ANC MP Makhosi Khoza said the tone of the draft report, on the observations, should not be definite on Muthambi as this was not a disciplinary hearing against the minister.
MPs were questioning the interference of Muthambi in the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng and other board processes.
Despite the fact that parties come from different political and ideological backgrounds, it must not be perceived that the ANC was soft on Muthambi, said Khoza.
She added the committee needed to be careful when it drafted the report. She said this was not a disciplinary hearing against Muthambi.
However, she called on the committee to be objective in drafting the report.
But Mike Waters, of the DA, said Muthambi had pressurised the board to appoint Motsoeneng.
He said this was the evidence led during the hearings, and there was no better way of putting it than the fact she directly interfered in processes of the board.