The deliberations of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on the SABC board inquiry kicked off on Thursday morning with concern being raised over who leaked its “working document”.
The IFP’s Narend Singh told fellow MPs it was an important issue to discuss as it involved a “matter of trust”.
Chairperson Vincent Smith called on the media to “report responsibly” on the board’s work.
Smith had a day earlier expressed his “dismay” that the working document had found its way into the public domain”‚ saying it “was prepared as a foundation upon which a constructive meeting of the committee and deliberations will commence”.
The document‚ which emerged online on Tuesday night‚ recommended recovering up to R5.1-billion in “irregular‚ fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.
It was also scathing of Communications Minister Faith Muthambi’s interference in the board’s work‚ particularly with regards the “hasty” permanent appointment of then acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng “despite the public protector’s damning findings against” him.
“Members received a working document on Monday and were asked to apply their minds and take it to their caucuses‚” Smith told TMG Digital on Thursday morning before the sitting of the committee.
“So‚ today and tomorrow we will take that working document and use it as a base in preparation for the finalisation of the draft report.”
Following the deliberations‚ a draft report will be circulated to affected parties. They will have two weeks — from January 24 until February 9 — to comment.
“We will then as a committee reconvene and finalise a report that we will submit to Parliament for consideration‚ and the deadline for that submission is the 28th of February‚” Smith said.
The working document was compiled following the conclusion of the committee’s investigation last Friday. – TMG Digital
Media urged to ‘report responsibly’ after SABC inquiry’s working document was leaked
The deliberations of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on the SABC board inquiry kicked off on Thursday morning with concern being raised over who leaked its “working document”.
The IFP’s Narend Singh told fellow MPs it was an important issue to discuss as it involved a “matter of trust”.
Chairperson Vincent Smith called on the media to “report responsibly” on the board’s work.
Smith had a day earlier expressed his “dismay” that the working document had found its way into the public domain”‚ saying it “was prepared as a foundation upon which a constructive meeting of the committee and deliberations will commence”.
The document‚ which emerged online on Tuesday night‚ recommended recovering up to R5.1-billion in “irregular‚ fruitless and wasteful expenditure”.
It was also scathing of Communications Minister Faith Muthambi’s interference in the board’s work‚ particularly with regards the “hasty” permanent appointment of then acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng “despite the public protector’s damning findings against” him.
“Members received a working document on Monday and were asked to apply their minds and take it to their caucuses‚” Smith told TMG Digital on Thursday morning before the sitting of the committee.
“So‚ today and tomorrow we will take that working document and use it as a base in preparation for the finalisation of the draft report.”
Following the deliberations‚ a draft report will be circulated to affected parties. They will have two weeks — from January 24 until February 9 — to comment.
“We will then as a committee reconvene and finalise a report that we will submit to Parliament for consideration‚ and the deadline for that submission is the 28th of February‚” Smith said.
The working document was compiled following the conclusion of the committee’s investigation last Friday. – TMG Digital
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