Muthambi ‘chose not to meddle’ in operational issues at the SABC

The Communications ministry has taken a "hands-off" approach to the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) because it has full confidence in the board‚ it said on Monday.

The ministry was responding to reports over the last few weeks regarding the public broadcaster‚ saying Communications Minister Faith Muthambi "chose not to meddle" in its internal matters.

"Our view is that these are‚ in fact‚ operational issues which need to be resolved by the board as the accounting authority for the corporation‚" she said.

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“Failure to observe this key constitutional and policy provision would‚ in fact‚ render the ministry as interfering with the duties of the board and management of the public broadcaster."

This was how it had been done in the last and the ministry did not want to interfere in the future‚ Muthambi said.

The minister has not been very vocal about the growing crisis at the public broadcaster. However‚ she has expressed support for the public broadcaster.

Muthambi‚ the SABC board and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) are expected to appear before Parliament's Communications Portfolio Committee to discuss the issues at the broadcaster.

Muthambi will on Tuesday brief it on the SABC's editorial policy‚ recent changes to it and implementing Icasa's order that it withdraw a decision to not air any footage of violent protests.

She will also brief it on the court cases the SABC had been involved in and the financial impact they had on the broadcaster.

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A full-scale parliamentary inquiry into the problems at the SABC could be on the cards. The committee met last week and agreed that more meetings could be required to get the bottom of the problems at the broadcaster.

Committee chairman Humphrey Maxegwana said this would be subject to approval by the chair of the house‚ Cedric Frolick.

With regards to the editorial decisions taken at the SABC‚ the communications ministry on Monday said it was worth recalling that the process to review editorial policy was initiated in the 2013/2014 financial year.

The SABC board signs off the editorial policies not the communications ministry‚ it said.

– TMG Digital/BDlive