Communications Minister Faith Muthambi yesterday snubbed an important meeting of the ANC to account for the crisis at the SABC.

Sowetan has established that Muthambi failed to pitch at the governing party's communication subcommittee meeting.

An angry head of the committee Jackson Mthembu last week summoned Muthambi to a meeting to come and explain the decision of the public broadcaster to ban the broadcasting of destruction of property during violent protests.

Mthembu also slammed both Muthambi and SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng over the shenanigans at the SABC.

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But, Muthambi did not arrive on Monday, again defying the committee.

Mthembu referred questions to ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe. "We have escalated the matter. The SG will speak on the matter," he said.

On Monday, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ordered the SABC to lift the ban on broadcasting footage of public destruction.

But Motsoeneng and the board remained defiant, saying they will take Icasa to the Constitutional Court if needs be. Icasa acting chairman Ruben Mohlaloga said the decision was "binding to all parties" and that the organisation had applied its "mind fully" on the matter.

SABC board chairman Professor Mbulaheni Maguvhe had seven days to confirm to Icasa that the ruling is taken as an order, Mohlaloga said. He noted that Icasa had interpreted the Broadcasting Act and its approach was to assist licensees to comply with the legal and regulatory framework.

However, Maguvhe defended the broadcaster's decision.

"We still believe that this is a moral and a cautious decision that we have taken. We are worried as the SABC that freedom of speech and freedom of information doesn't mean that our children whose minds are not ready to digest these visuals, that you should expose them to these visuals to grow [up] to be hooligans and irresponsible citizens.

". I still believe that we were right [to change editorial policies and not broadcast violent protests] . We have never imposed any blanket ban on the visuals," said Maguvhe.

He said they would consult their lawyers in the next five days, and should they get a go-ahead to challenge Icasa, they would go as far as the Constitutional Court.

Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans Association slammed Mthembu for summoning Muthambi to Luthuli House. "Our position is that Faith is a comrade deployed by the ANC. But you can't summon comrade Faith through e.tv and tell the media what you are going to discuss and also contradict the statement that was issued by the secretary-general [Mantashe] of the NEC [national executive committee] of the ANC and also by the spokesperson [Zizi Kodwa]," said its chairman Ke'bby Maphatsoe.