Ido Lekota

Ido Lekota

The chairman of the SABC board, Khanyisile Mkhonza, has accused some of her staff members of running a campaign to descredit the governing body.

The SABC board is scheduled to appear before the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications on Tuesday to answer allegations of incompetence.

Last year, the committee passed a vote of no-confidence in the board, saying it was failing to meet its mandate of effectively governing the affairs of the public broadcaster.

"This is part of a campaign to build a case against the board before its appearance before the parliamentary portfolio committee," said Mkhonza.

Mkhonza was reacting to media reports that she and her deputy, Christine Qunta, had allegedly approved three months' paid leave for Pearl Luthuli - said to be Mkhonza's friend - without informing the acting group chief executive, Gab Mampone, or acting group chief operations officer Charlotte Mampane.

"I do not sign leave forms of any executive other than the CEO. If I did the system would reject the leave form," said Mkhonza.

She said the staff member who made the allegation should have provided a copy of the leave form.