Zuma 'sleeping on the job'

President Jacob Zuma has had enough time to appoint a new board at the SABC and could have made his selection last month if he had been more diligent.

That is according to the chairman of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, Humphrey Maxegwana, who said the due diligence checks the presidency undertook into the candidates recommended by parliament should have been completed sooner.

"The problem we have with the process is that we presented our report [to parliament] on September 6," Maxegwana said.

"The [interim] SABC board was going out on September 26. We think it was enough time for the president to have done all the processes needed so that the matter was concluded by the 26th. If they started the process after receiving the names on September 6, they would have completed it in time."

On Sunday the City Press reported that Zuma and Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo had been accused of delaying the appointments so that they could place their own people in the strategic positions of COO, CEO and CFO.

Chairman of Save Our SABC Thandi Smith said there was "far too much political interference" in the appointment of a new board.

"The fact that we are waiting for the appointment of three major [positions] is infuriating. It works against the good work done by the interim board," Smith said.

"We heard [that the reasons for the delay are that] there needs to be more vetting process, so that means they don't trust the parliamentary processes, which did the same."

The president's spokesman, Bongani Ngqulunga, said vetting the candidates had been completed but he would not say when the appointments would be made.

"The Presidency received all the documentation on Friday which will enable [Zuma] to complete the process soon," said Ngqulunga.

"The president is required by law to ensure that persons appointed to the SABC meet certain requirements. The due diligence that has been undertaken is not meant to second-guess any institution."