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New Communications Minister to shake up SABC

Newly appointed Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo says her portfolio comes with a huge responsibility and her main focus is to restore the integrity of the South African Broadcasting Cooperation.

Dlodlo was sworn into President Jacob Zuma’s Cabinet on Friday evening at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria. Thandi Mahambehlala will take on the role as deputy minister.

Dlodlo replaces embattled Faith Muthambi who has been redeployed to the Public Service and Administration portfolio.

Prior to this appointment‚ Dlodlo was deputy minister for Public Service and Administration‚ a position she was first appointed to in November 2010 and re-appointed to in May 2014.

“There’s a lot of work that we need to do in order to bring back the good brand of the SABC. There’s been a bit of turmoil all over the place around the SABC‚ but I think the SABC can go back to its former glory and we will be able to work with wonderful journalists that work there‚” said Dlodlo.

“I think it’s brand we need to guard jealously‚ a brand that we need to reposition….”

She added that for many South Africans who did not have DSTV‚ the brand was all they had and that they needed to get their money’s worth for the licence fees they paid.

Her remarks come as SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago admitted that the public broadcaster was on the brink of financial collapse‚ but blamed members of Parliament who were investigating maladministration and issues of corporate governance affairs for the recent decline in revenue.

He said continuous attacks on the SABC affected its business relations with its partners‚ which could unfortunately lead to the retrenchment of staff members.

A report compiled by an ad hoc committee of Parliament on the public broadcaster was adopted in the National Assembly last month.

The ad hoc committee was appointed to hold an inquiry into the fitness of the parastatal’s board to hold office‚ with former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the centre of a controversy.

The committee’s report followed a more than three month process by MPs‚ who heard testimony from various witnesses‚ including journalists.

 

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