South Africa: Dismay over board’s O’Neil in SABC post

The decision to appoint SABC board member Clare O’Neil to oversee the broadcaster’s troubled sales and marketing division has been met with opposition from experts in the media sector and unions.

News of O’Neil’s pending appointment was leaked a few days before the official announcement on Friday, sparking debate among the Save Our SABC Coalition and the board about the ethical implications of appointing a board member to the post.

O’Neil — former SABC GM of sales between 2001 to 2005 — is to oversee the troubled sales and marketing division while the investigation against suspended head Gab Mampone is completed. O’Nei l is expected to hold the position for several months.

The Broadcast, Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union said it was “highly unethical for a board member to use his/her position of trust and the advantage of being a board member to secure a position at SABC”. It called for the position to be advertised and for qualified people to apply.

It also raised concern that the appointment contravened King 3 rules which dealt with the segregation of duties and delegation of authority between a board and management.

The union felt the position should have been filled by an independent person.

“When Robin Nicholson (chief financial officer) was suspended, the SABC appointed an acting external professional person to take over his functions,” it said.

The SABC insisted that O’Neil, despite contributing to the “strategic and operational planning on SABC revenues and exercising oversight over implementation of the turnaround programme, will not serve directly in SABC structures”.

In its statement, the broadcaster took a swipe at the union’s “inaccurate claims and comments made before the board”.

“Ms O’Neil and the nature of her increased oversight is in line with the requirements of the SABC’s enabling legislation, the Broadcast Act and with the Public Finance Management Act and various other regulatory and statutory imperatives”.

The statement said group CEO Solly Mokoetle had recommended O’Neil because of her “specialised knowledge and experience in the field of advertising and related activities”. This included a period at Telkom Media as GM of advertising sales and at On Digital Media.

Save Our SABC Coalition spokeswoman Kate Skinner on Friday confirmed the objections by some members, saying that it was generally felt by the coalition that the “post should be filled with a full-time person as soon as possible”.

“As an interim measure it’s fine, but ultimately you want the issue with Mampone to be concluded quickly so a full-time person can be appointed,” she said.

Mampone’s suspension at the end of last month and the current investigation are believed to be based on internal audit reports on the sales department that raised questions about financial mismanagement and the misuse of SABC facilities. Questions have been raised about Mampone’s fail ure to act on the reports.

- March 08, 2010 by Chantelle Benjamin

.................

Source: www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx (accessed on 09.03.2010)