New SABC chief gets the thumbs up

Lulama Mokhobo's appointment as the new SABC group CEO for the next five years has been met with an uncharacteristically favourable industry response.

The 56-year-old is the public broadcaster's eighth CEO since 2005. The position has appeared to be a poisoned chalice.

Communications Minister Dina Pule on Monday announced Mokhobo's appointment with immediate effect, bringing stability to the public broadcaster after a series of controversial appointments, suspensions and resignations.

Yesterday, Pule said: "When I took office last November, I made a promise to speed up the process to appoint the SABC CEO after my first meeting with the SABC board.

"I am confident that with her at the helm, the leadership collective will be able to meet the expectations of the public and the staff."

Kate Skinner, of the Support Public Broadcasting coalition, and Thandi Brewer, of the Writers Guild of South Africa, both said Mokhobo would need "all the support she can get" to successfully deliver on her new duties.

Skinner said Mokhobo's previous experience within the SABC -she worked for almost five years as the SABC's group executive for public broadcasting services - would stand her in good stead.

She said: "It means a lot to have someone there permanently. This is an incredibly tough job, but the fact that she has a public service perspective is a huge bonus.

"At the top of her priorities list should be ensuring that a number of key positions are filled because there are a lot of people in acting capacities. She must pull together a strong team, at its heart being quality public programming," added Skinner.

Mokhobo resigned as mining company Miranda Minerals' chairman a week ago.

And while Mokhobo carries an impressive CV - having also served as TV production house Urban Brew's CEO, a director at rival broadcaster e.tv and as head of Eskom's public relations division - Brewer said she did not envy the new CEO.

"The main thing is that we now at least have someone. Hopefully she will be a new broom that sweeps the SABC clean. It is not an easy job, she is going to do a lot of work and I wish her the very best - I honestly do," Brewer said.

"Hopefully she will be making local content her top priority and the audience can get what they have been promised - which is high-quality local content."

SABC board chairman Ben Ngubane said Mokhobo was chosen because of her previous work within the organisation.

"The appointment of a group CEO will go a long way in moving the organisation forward," Ngubane said.

Phil Molefe has been serving as acting group CEO after Robin Nicholson - who had also been acting - left in a huff last July.

Before Nicholson, Solly Mokoetle was suspended in August 2010, resigning last January with a hefty R3.4-million settlement.

Before Mokoetle, Gab Mampone had a short stint after succeeding lawyer Dali Mpofu, who left in May 2008 with a handsome R14.1-million pay-off after an ugly tussle with the board.

In 2005, Mpofu succeeded Peter Matlare, who had left after reportedly disagreeing with the board on certain issues, after four years in the job.