Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has told parliament that keeping the governance policies of the SABC secret is not wrong and does not violate any laws.
Muthambi was appearing before parliament's communications portfolio committee yesterday.
The acting chairman of the SABC board, Obert Maguhve, and its acting CEO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, accused some MPs of causing divisions on the board and of interfering with the affairs of the broadcaster.
DA MP Gavin Davis grilled Muthambi about the emergence last month of an SABC memorandum of incorporation that gave her the power to discipline and remove executive managers and board members at the SABC.
Davis argued that the document gave the minister too much power over the SABC and usurped the powers of the portfolio committee.
Before the emergence of the memorandum SABC board members could be removed only through a parliamentary process.
Board member Hope Zinde was removed last week after differing with other board members about a contract with pay-TV operator MultiChoice.
Muthambi said the memorandum was not of her making but had been adopted by her predecessor in 2013 and was not in breach of legislation.
"You say people are doing things secretively, without public announcement. If people are doing it in compliance [with the memorandum] what's wrong with that? ... [The document] was registered with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission," she said.
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