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Khaya Ngakula to take over as SABC CEO

Former SAA boss Khaya Ngakula is tipped to be the new chief executive of the SABC following the departure of Dali Mpofu, according to a document leaked from the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Parastatal Reassignments.

The document was based on reports from three separate overseas public broadcast management consultants from the UK, China and Cuba, who suggested that no-one in South Africa was "more experienced than Ngakula in terms of understanding the operation and politics of major parastatal institutions."

New board

According to the source that leaked the document to Bizcommunity.com, the Portfolio Committee on Parastatal Reassignments has apparently in principle approved a proposal to replace the SABC board, which it is now able to do given new legislation passed two weeks ago. This will happen "as soon as possible after the April elections when selections can be made from the bottom of the ANC list of those who would not be required to represent the party in parliament."

The source added that the portfolio committee also "discussed a new chairperson" and names that "were prominent in the discussion" included Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, Carl Niehaus and former Minister of the Presidency Essop Pahad.

According to committee sources, the two SABC board members who resigned, Peter Vundla and Christine Qunta, would therefore not be replaced until after the general elections. It is understood, however, that a shortlist of candidates has already been approved. Nominations include Tony Yengeni and Julius Malema.

Foreign consultants

The consultants also advised that the SABC needed to "pay urgent attention to growing perceptions of political influence in news reporting" and proposed an independent editorial board as the best solution.

The Portfolio Committee document, which has apparently been discussed and approved by Cabinet, has recommended that in order to be seen to be "completely politically independent and unbiased" it should be chaired by veteran journalist and broadcaster Debra Patta.

Other nominations for the editorial board include Prof Anton Harber, Ferial Haffajee, Justice Malala, Thebe Ikalafeng, Barry Ronge, Hoosen Kolia, Jonathan Shapiro, James Clarke, Ray Hartley, Wendy Shilowa, Jeremy Maggs, Stephen Mulholland, Roy Paulson, Redi Direko, Chris Gibbons, John Perlman, Barry Hilton, Robin Parker, Jeremy Cronin, Jenny Crwys-Williams, David O'Sullivan, Soli Philander and Raymond Ackerman.

Commenting on the leaked document, a member of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Communications told Bizcommunity, "Today of all days you would have to be a complete fool to believe all that..."

For more:

• IOL: Were you an April Fool?
  
• The Times Online: The Best Of April Fools
  
• News24.com: And on that note...
  
• WorldWideWorx.com: April Fool hoaxes up by 372.5% on Internet
  
• IOL: Moles bring 2010 stadium work to standstill [even Zoopy.com got in on the act here]