“The minister raised his concerns about the negative public perception on the board and executive management's ability to give direction to the public broadcaster's operations,” DoC spokesperson Tiyani Rikhotso said.
“He reminded the board of the mandate of the SABC to deliver quality broadcasting services to the public as stipulated in the Broadcasting Act as well as the Broadcasting Charter,” Rikhotso added.
“As a shareholder we are equally not comfortable with the fact that the SABC continues to operate without key senior executives. We urged them to finalise as soon as possible the process of appointing a Group CEO, COO and the head the corporation's news and current affairs division,” Nyanda said.
One of vital outcomes of the meeting was that the SABC has promised to meet with the independent producers to try to find ways of resolving issues of non-payment.
The public broadcaster, which is said to have lost its moral standing due to infighting between the board and management, is insolvent and owes close to R60 million to independent producers who have laid off staff and are now threatening to pull the plug on daily soapies and other programmes.
Rikhotso said that the department and the national treasury will continue engaging the SABC with a view to improve the public broadcaster's financial position including the current cash flow challenges.
Reports said that the SABC had asked the government to provide it with more R2bn to sort out its financial mess in the short-term.
However, a government source told Bizcommunity.com yesterday: “There will be tough strings attached to this financial help if it is indeed approved. This board has too much power on the daily affairs of the organisation and some of us are wondering if it is worth giving this money now while Kanyi and her band are still in office.
“I am pretty sure they will have to face tough questioning from the top guns in the coming days.”
The Sunday Independent reported recently that board chairperson Kanyi Mkonza is facing revolt from within her own board, quoting board member Bheki Khumalo as accusing Mkonza of financial misconduct.
Mkonza is accused of squandering the SABC's scarce financial resources for, among others, unauthorised expenditure amounting to R180 000 for having a security guard posted outside her home for a year.
Mkonza was quoted as saying: “I am not going to respond to any of the claims. It is not true that only one person can damage the organisation. If the board asks me to resign, they will do so at that meeting.”
The board meets on Thursday in what is believed to be a do-or-die encounter.
