Jimi Matthews’ resignation as acting group CEO of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) was an “iconic decision” that puts him alongside “patriotic citizens” like Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas and his boss Pravin Gordhan.

That’s according to the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC)‚ who took the “opportunity to wish great future endeavours to great men and women like who put the country and its people first”.

Also read: 'Jimi Matthews being used to turn SABC into a laughing stock': ANC

With more like them‚ the PAC’s Kenneth Mokgatlhe said‚ “our country would be saved from corrupt misleaders and chancers”.

He noted that it “was during state capture when [a] great man like Mcebisi Jonas stood up and revealed to us how the minister are being appointed at Saxonworld by [a] certain family”.

That unnamed family is the politically connected Gupta family‚ whom‚ Jonas said‚ had offered him the position of Finance Minster shortly before then-incumbent Nhlanhla Nene was fired by President Jacob Zuma.

“Today we must really celebrate the iconic decisions seized by statesman like Mr Matthews‚” Mokgatlhe said.

“The PAC is in solidarity with all those who took an initiative to bring these matters before our eyes‚ and we want to call more who are silent in fear of their jobs to come forward.”

He called for a “rapid intervention” from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa‚ “as we have seen the worst being done by the Minister of Communications‚ who is obviously a political head deployed by the party in government”.

“It cannot be correct that the SABC is used as a party or government mouthpiece when it is funded by general citizen‚” Mokgatlhe said.

“This is supposed to be a public broadcaster and it is the people of this country who should decide on their preferred content. It cannot be one man or woman who decide the fate of our people. If it means that we must have a referendum then we should conduct it as of now.”

– TMG Digital