The Democratic Alliance says it will vehemently oppose a Bill tabled by Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi on Friday which it says will give the ANC-government complete control over the public broadcaster‚ the SABC.
The broadcasting Amendment Bill was tabled after the National Assembly had risen‚ presumably‚ with hopes that it would go unnoticed‚ DA spokesperson on communications Phumzile Van Damme charged on Sunday.
“Of primary concern‚ the Bill will remove Parliament’s role in the appointment of the SABC’s non-executive board members.
“The President will now appoint non-executive members of the board on the advice of the Minister‚ not Parliament. The Minister will be advised by a ‘nominating committee’ she appoints herself‚” Van Damme asserted.
The Bill would also reduce the number of the non-executive board members from 12 to 9; reduce the quorum from 9 to 7; and specified a new procedure for their re-appointment‚ removal and resignation of non-executive board members‚ Van Damme stated.
“The Broadcasting Amendment Bill is‚ quite simply‚ bad news for South Africa’s democracy.
It will see the last vestige of independence removed from the SABC‚ paving the way for it to become a ANC-government propaganda tool under the control of Minister Muthambi‚” Van Damme added.
“Along with the SABC Memorandum of Incorporation secretly signed by Muthambi in September last year‚ which gives the Minister of Communications the right to usurp the board’s powers reducing it to a mere rubber stamp‚ the Bill will give the ANC complete control over the SABC.”
Van Damme said the DA would use every mechanism available to it to make sure that it did not become law in order to protect the independence of the public broadcaster.
“For South Africa’s hard-won democracy to thrive‚ it is imperative that the country has a public broadcaster that is independent of government‚ free from political interference and presents news that is an accurate representation of conditions in South Africa.
“In fact‚ the Constitution requires that South Africa’s broadcasting system be in the public interest‚ to ensure fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing South African society.
“Any machinations to remove the independence of the SABC must be viewed as not only undemocratic‚ but also possibly‚ unconstitutional.
“The DA will vehemently oppose this Bill for the benefit of all South Africans who have a right to impartial news‚ not ANC good stories and propaganda‚” Van Damme stated.
Bill paves way for ANC’s complete takeover of SABC: DA
The Democratic Alliance says it will vehemently oppose a Bill tabled by Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi on Friday which it says will give the ANC-government complete control over the public broadcaster‚ the SABC.
The broadcasting Amendment Bill was tabled after the National Assembly had risen‚ presumably‚ with hopes that it would go unnoticed‚ DA spokesperson on communications Phumzile Van Damme charged on Sunday.
“Of primary concern‚ the Bill will remove Parliament’s role in the appointment of the SABC’s non-executive board members.
“The President will now appoint non-executive members of the board on the advice of the Minister‚ not Parliament. The Minister will be advised by a ‘nominating committee’ she appoints herself‚” Van Damme asserted.
The Bill would also reduce the number of the non-executive board members from 12 to 9; reduce the quorum from 9 to 7; and specified a new procedure for their re-appointment‚ removal and resignation of non-executive board members‚ Van Damme stated.
“The Broadcasting Amendment Bill is‚ quite simply‚ bad news for South Africa’s democracy.
It will see the last vestige of independence removed from the SABC‚ paving the way for it to become a ANC-government propaganda tool under the control of Minister Muthambi‚” Van Damme added.
“Along with the SABC Memorandum of Incorporation secretly signed by Muthambi in September last year‚ which gives the Minister of Communications the right to usurp the board’s powers reducing it to a mere rubber stamp‚ the Bill will give the ANC complete control over the SABC.”
Van Damme said the DA would use every mechanism available to it to make sure that it did not become law in order to protect the independence of the public broadcaster.
“For South Africa’s hard-won democracy to thrive‚ it is imperative that the country has a public broadcaster that is independent of government‚ free from political interference and presents news that is an accurate representation of conditions in South Africa.
“In fact‚ the Constitution requires that South Africa’s broadcasting system be in the public interest‚ to ensure fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing South African society.
“Any machinations to remove the independence of the SABC must be viewed as not only undemocratic‚ but also possibly‚ unconstitutional.
“The DA will vehemently oppose this Bill for the benefit of all South Africans who have a right to impartial news‚ not ANC good stories and propaganda‚” Van Damme stated.
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