President Zuma accepts six more resignations from SABC board

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Six more members of South African Broadcasting Corporation Board – Lumko Mtimde, John Danana, Cedric Gina, Desmond Golding, Cawe Mahlati and Noluthando Gosa – have handed in their resignations to President Jacob Zuma on Monday.

“The president has accepted their resignations and thanked them for their contribution during their tenure as board members,” presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said.

During the tensed times, SABC board chairperson Ben Ngubane and his deputy Thami ka Plaatjie also resigned last week. The tensions uprooted at the public broadcaster after Ngubane and the board fell out over the future of acting Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Last month, an announcement was made which stated that Motsoeneng is been replaced by Mike Siluma, a veteran journalist and head of radio news and current affairs. Shortly, Ngubane announced that Motsoeneng had been reinstated and Plaatjie had made this decision. The confusion was further increased when the SABC board issued a statement alleging that “the report … is regrettable as neither the chairperson nor the deputy chairperson nor both have the power or authority to unilaterally change a board resolution”.

SABC board member Suzanne Vos said on Monday that should Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications not hold a meeting over the issue within the next two days, she would also have to resign.

She said on Monday: “I learned of the resignations of colleagues whom I greatly respect. I have requested an opportunity to speak to the portfolio committee on communications, which recommended my appointment to the president. It is the proper thing to do. If the committee is not able to meet, then I will also have to do the honourable thing and resign.”