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The SACP has noted and indeed welcomes the measures announced last week by the Minister of Communications, Cde Dinah Pule, around the SABC specifically, and her commitment to stabilise the issue of leadership at the public broadcaster. Whilst we are generally supportiveof these measures, we have learnt with shock the clumsy and rushed attempts to fill the vacant position of the Chief Operating Officer.

The SACP is strongly of the view that such rushed attempts, including the exclusion of outside applicants for the COO position, can potentially throw the SABC into a further crisis. The SACP calls for an immediate halt to this process and that an open advertisement is placed so that all capable and qualified South Africans are able to apply for such a critical post. If all the other senior positions have been publicly advertised why not this one?

The SACP has been on record in seriously raising its concerns about the irregular appointments of individuals into senior positions at the SABC, who have either forged qualifications orhave been found to have lied about their qualifications. To this day no explanation has been forthcoming from the SABC. Once more, the SACP reiterates its call for action to be taken on all these fraudulent activities, and for the persons responsible to be made to account.

Any attempts to stabilise leadership and restore the credibility of the public broadcaster must be managed in a manner that is above reproach and instill confidence in the public broadly. It would be irrational that a position of a chief operating officer is advertised, in the first instance, internally and, in the second instance, applicants have only three working days to apply. Such haste and restrictions to applicants can only breed suspicion that the entire selection process has already been corrupted.

The SACP wants a fair and transparent process to appoint senior executives at the public broadcaster. The SACP further abhors the abuse of the name of the President of the Republic and the movement broadly by individuals who undeservedly seek lavish jobs for themselves.

We call on the Minister of Communications to act and restore the integrity of this process, for the sake of the millions of the workers and the poor of our country who rely on the public broadcaster for news and information.

Masingaphenduli uMsakazo womphakathi ube umhume wabaphangi!