ANC does U-turn in SABC firings storm

The ANC has turned its back on a parliamentary legal opinion that found Communications Minister Faith Muthambi to have acted unlawfully when she removed three SABC board members.

ANC MPs made the U-turn during yesterday's communications portfolio meeting.

Muthambi had been engaged in a showdown with the committee for weeks, after parliament's legal adviser found Muthambi had "acted unlawfully" when removing Rachel Kalidass, Hope Zinde and Ronnie Lubisi from the board. MPs from all parties had earlier accepted the opinion.

Briefing the committee yesterday, Muthambi stuck to her guns, while her legal adviser, Dan Mantsha, also reiterated that parliament was not the right place to make legal representations and members should rather approach the courts if they felt strongly about the matter.

ANC MP Moses Tseli said after listening to both legal opinions on the matter, he was inclined to agree with Muthambi.

EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi registered his party's disapproval, while DA MP Gavin Davis said he was flabbergasted by the U-turn.

Davis said the only recourse left was to challenge the removal of the three board members in court.

Source: Herald