If Hlaudi Motsoeneng walked confidently into parliament yesterday believing he would once again get protection from politicians for his shenanigans at the SABC, he certainly left with his tail between his legs. The writing has been on the wall for weeks for the controversial former SABC chief operations officer, but his arrogance - and the belief that the country's Number One citizen has his back - blinded him to the changed political reality.In a rare moment for the fifth democratically elected parliament - a house that is often characterised by high levels of tension between the governing party and the opposition - MPs were unanimous in condemning the SABC board for its disregard of a court ruling in reappointing Motsoeneng to a top executive position at the broadcaster.ANC MPs spoke with candour about the problems at the SABC, the kind last seen in 2008 when the Union Buildings were under then-president Thabo Mbeki and Luthuli House - which gave orders to MPs - was run by party president Jacob Zuma.But, as was the case in 2008, the activist role played by the majority party MPs yesterday had little to do with their sudden realisation that it was their duty to hold the executive and other public institutions to account.It had everything to do with the succession battle currently playing itself out within the ANC.With the party's elective conference a little more than a year away, Zuma's opponents are beginning to flex muscles, using parliament and even the cabinet to weaken his grip on the state.As was the case in 2008, this battle could have some positive results for South Africa - such as ANC MPs refusing to continue condoning Motsoeneng's ongoing mismanagement of the SABC.However, as we commend the MPs for finally taking a stand against the incompetent SABC board and a man who is widely acknowledged to be the president's point man at the broadcaster, we should not lose sight of the fact that it was the conduct of these very MPs that put us in this crisis in the first place.Had they selected the SABC board on merit, rather than political affiliation, Motsoeneng would not have been able to cause so much destruction without the board putting a stop to it.As parliament begins the process of dissolving the disgraceful board, the public should be insisting that the interim board taking over must be made up of credible individuals committed to running the public broadcaster as an independent institution that serves all of the country's citizens...