Deputy again shows lack of faith in Faith‚ as SABC inquiry resumes

Deputy Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams appeared to take a swipe at her superior on Wednesday ahead of the resumption of the ad hoc committee on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board inquiry on Wednesday.

She posted on Twitter: “If they can tell u all is well at SABC and that there is nothing wrong done by the 1man standing u shud be very worried of what else can they do when given more power. God bless South Africa! Morning good people.”

This seemed to be a reference to the sole remaining member of the SABC board‚ Prof Mbulaheni Maguvhe‚ whose fitness to hold office will be probed by Parliament after a failed court bid to halt the inquiry.

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has been a vocal supporter of Maguvhe.

The Sunday Times recently reported that Ndabeni-Abrahams and Muthambi are locked in a turf war that has exposed further cracks in President Jacob Zuma's administration. It said that Ndabeni-Abrahams has reported Muthambi to Zuma for sidelining her and treating her "like a PA".

Internal documents seen by the Sunday Times show how Muthambi wanted to move the approval of trips undertaken by Ndabeni-Abrahams to the minister's office. She also instructed department officials to ensure that Ndabeni-Abrahams's office got funding for programmes that related only to the mandate of the department.

Ad hoc committee chair Vincent Smith said on Tuesday that the inquiry will resume on Wednesday into “Maguvhe’s fitness to hold office‚ as he is the only remaining non-executive member of the SABC Board”.

“The inquiry was delayed by a week‚ following Prof Maguvhe’s application to interdict the committee at the Western Cape High Court‚ which later ruled in Parliament’s favour‚” he said‚

The inquiry was to have started on November 29 and could continue its work through the December parliamentary break.

Shortly before that‚ the Presidency acknowledged the resignations of two of the remaining members of the board of the SABC. Nomvuyo Mhlakaza and Aaron Tshidzumba stepping down left Maguvhe as the only remaining member.

“President Jacob Zuma has received and accepted the resignations of Vuyo Mhlakaza and Dr Aaron Tshidzumba as members of the board of the SABC‚ with immediate effect‚” a statement said.

The ad hoc committee was formed by the National Assembly after the SABC board members objected to the portfolio committee on communications holding the probe‚ citing “prejudice as the main reason‚ and requested that another committee be appointed to carry out the inquiry”.

Portfolio committee chairperson Humphrey Maxegwana had previously said that the “decision to institute an inquiry into the board of the SABC was taken in the public interest‚ in order to establish facts regarding the state of affairs at the public broadcaster and ascertain the fitness of the current members of the board to hold office”.

Maxegwana said the committee “will provide the necessary information to the ad hoc committee in order to allow it to perform its functions in full”.

Maxegwana had‚ on receipt of the remaining board members’ objection‚ referred the issue to the National Assembly’s Chair of Chairs “for guidance”‚ but noted that the communications committee “is empowered to investigate or inquire into and make recommendations concerning executive organs of state‚ constitutional institutions‚ and other bodies or institutions”.

The committee had‚ in October‚ agreed to hold an inquiry into the SABC board after it quizzed the board on controversial executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s new appointment as group executive for corporate affairs‚ following the Supreme Court of Appeal’s dismissal of his challenge to a judgment which ruled that his earlier appointment as chief operating officer was unlawful.

In that meeting‚ SABC board members Vusi Mavuso and Krish Naidoo dropped a bombshell when they resigned‚ citing the “shenanigans” at the public broadcaster.