South Africa: Media body halts SABC secret meeting

The South African Editors’ forum (Sanef) has secured a court interdict to stop the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board hearing with Parliament Portfolio Committee on Communications. Sanef brought an urgent application to the Western Cape High Court on 24 August 2010, after it was made clear by the committee on communications that the hearing will take place in closed doors.

In his ruling, Judge Sven Olivier ordered that the committee should not proceed with any sitting from which the public, including the media, were excluded.

The SABC board was expected to make presentations on their turnaround strategy, filling of post of head of News, and functionality of the SABC board. The hearing was however postponed due to the court interdict and there has not been a date set for when the meeting will resume.

“We have a situation where the courts are now trying to determine the internal procedures of Parliament. Those are normally regulated by the rules of Parliament,” said chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Communications, Ismail Vadi. Vadi said “they [the board] have served him [Solly Mokoetle, group CEO] with a legal letter with the intention to suspend him and he is expected to motivate why his suspension must not be considered.”

MISA-SA position

MISA-South Africa denounces the intended secret meeting between SABC Board and Parliamentary Portfolio committee on Communication. The SABC is a public broadcaster and any revelations in the broadcaster needs to be a public acknowledgement and direct communication. The committee on communications should see to it that the is transparency and access, and stop the increasing trend of committees closing meetings when there is anything uncomfortable or damaging regarding public figures. //End//

-August 26, 2010 by MISA

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Source: www.misa.org (received via e-mail alert on 26.08.10)