New SABC board gets to work

22 July 2009 - 02:00
By unknown

THE newly appointed interim board of the SABC told Parliament's communications committee that they have identified a number of key deliverables they hope to achieve by the end of their six-month tenure.

THE newly appointed interim board of the SABC told Parliament's communications committee that they have identified a number of key deliverables they hope to achieve by the end of their six-month tenure.

Irene Charnley, interim chairperson of the board, explained yesterday that a permanent board must be in position to take over from them as soon as possible.

Among the interim boards's objectives will be to stabilise the corporation by resolving the current wage dispute and impending strike, resolving the dispute with the former group chief executive, filling key vacancies including the head of news, and filling the posts currently occupied by acting executives.

Crucially, she said, the board has to decrease costs and increase revenue.

She said the board had to institute plans for paying critical debts. And she appealed for help from the committee in getting government organs to pay their debts to the corporation.

Charnley also told the committee that the SABC board was cooperating with a forensic investigation being conducted by the auditor-general.

In the 10 days since their appointments were signed, the interim board has met Communications Minister Simphiwe Nyanda, the unions, the former group chief executive and all the other group executives. - I-Net Bridge