Buddy Naidu

Buddy Naidu

Christine Qunta has resigned as deputy chairwoman of the SABC board.

This comes just a week before the board appears before parliament's communications portfolio committee to account for a myriad of problems crippling the broadcaster. Qunta is the second, after businessman Peter Vundla, to leave the board.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said her resignation takes effect as of April 1. "Her letter was handed to the company secretary yesterday and no reasons were provided by her."

It is understood Qunta left after clashing with board chairwoman Kanyi Mkhonza over a variety of issues.

Chief among them is believed to be the leaking of a preliminary forensic report to the Sunday Times - within days of it being presented to the audit committee of the board.

The committee consists of Mkhonza, Bheki Khumalo, Gloria Serobe and Desmond Golding.

The report alleged how the former head of the international programme acquisition division, Matilda Gaboo, allegedly wasted R49million on buying dud programmes and giving contracts to friends.

Following its publication the SABC said on Monday it "regrets" the leak.

It promised to probe and "get to the bottom of the cause of this leakage and make sure that this investigation and many others are finalised as soon as possible."

Vundla, ironically, also gave no reasons for leaving but an insider said he became "fed-up" and "embarrassed" by the constant interfering by Mkhonza and Qunta in the daily running of SABC.