The Tripartite Alliance, consisting of the ANC, Cosatu and the SACP, yesterday came out against the current SABC board, calling it "unrepresentative".

In a statement after a three-day summit at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, the parties described the current SABC board as "not sufficiently representative".

The parties said they were committed to an SABC board that was representative of "a broad section of South African society".

Their statement comes in the wake of the recent suspension of both SABC chief executive officer Dali Mpofu and the public broadcaster's managing director for news Snuki Zikalala.

The supposition is that the new ANC leadership, led by Jacob Zuma, wants to gain control of the SABC, which was previously regarded as a lapdog of President Thabo Mbeki's government.

Led by new ANC caucus chairman Khotso Khumalo the MPs are seen as part of a campaign to dissolve the Mbeki-supporting board.

Some political observers had read the current SABC saga as an effort by the new ANC leadership to gain control over the public broadcaster. - Ido Lekota