SABC CEO should report to board, not to minister - analyst

One analyst this week came out guns blazing, foreseeing trouble ahead and categorically stating that the CEO of a public broadcaster must never report directly to a minister but must rather answer to the board.

Prof Tawana Kupe, Wits University's dean of faculty of humanities, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, 4 January 2010: “Only CEOs of state or government-controlled broadcasters report directly to the minister.

“Only civil servants ever report directly to a minister. It is possible that there could be another round of power struggles given that the substantive board should ideally have appointed the CEO.

The knives are out

“I think the problem in this case is that it was never clear what the interim board could not do. It is a pity though that they appointed a CEO in their last days and not at the beginning of their term. If the matter was urgent surely that would have been their first act.”

Barely a week into 2010 - the year of recovery and the World Cup - and the knives are already been drawn against Mokoetle, whose appointment is said to be challenged by the new board, according to The Sunday Times.

The new permanent board, which replaces the interim board, is due to take over on 10 January.

Now many seem to be wondering if the public broadcaster will one day fully recover from its various debacles and corporate ills and become a normal public entity, ‘broadcasting for total citizen empowerment', as it claims in its slogan.

Prof Kupe said: “It can if the governance arrangements are clarified to ensure that the SABC as a public broadcaster, not a state broadcaster or a government-controlled broadcaster, enjoys both institutional autonomy in the running of its affairs and editorial and programming independence from political parties, advertisers and all powerful social interests.”

Too often leaders deny there are problems, when there actually are

But insiders were incensed by outgoing interim board chairperson Irene Charnley who The Times quoted as denying that the new board members were unhappy with the way in which Mokoetle had been ‘imposed' on them, insisting proper procedures were followed.

A source close to Auckland Park told Bizcommunity.com yesterday: “What I don't like about this country is the denialism virus. Leaders always pretend that everything is under control while it is not. Why can't they admit the problem and start addressing it. Of course, some people are unhappy about Mokoetle and are talking behind the scenes.”

Prof Kupe said: “The solution to the SABC sagas, real or not real, is to clarify governance issues once and for all and for any governance structure to ensure that the SABC enjoys institutional autonomy from a government of the day.

“Institutional independence means that the appointment of the CEO must be made by a board of the corporation, and not subjected to ministerial or government approval.

“As for Irene, I am quite sure she is right but we need to know what those procedures were.”

Can the Mokoetle saga once again lead to another decisive episode of power struggle, where two centres of forces will emerge and fight for SABC's soul?

Time will tell.