Someone is deliberately misleading Parliament and needs to be held to account, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) inquiry ad hoc committee chairperson Vincent Smith has said.

Addressing former SABC chairperson Dr Ben Ngubane on Friday, Smith said there were too many inconsistencies between his testimony and that of others before him.

On Friday, Ngubane appeared before the parliamentary inquiry into the fitness of the SABC board to hold office, where he systematically denied any wrongdoing during his tenure at the public broadcaster.

Smith said, for the first time in the three weeks since the process started, there were direct contradictions.

These included Ngubane's assertion that The New Age breakfast shows did not cost the SABC a cent, while former employee Vuyo Mvoko had testified that Morning Live resources were diverted and that up to R500 000 was spent.

Committee to verify testimonies

"There are at least four incidents where there were direct contradictions for the first time. Direct contradictions... and both [versions] can't be the truth."

The committee would find a way to verify the testimonies, he said, and it would throw the book at those "who had undermined Parliament in this respect".

"Somebody has misled Parliament, somebody has not taken us seriously and they will pay the price for it. There can't be such grave contradictions, it's just too scary for us not to take it up," Smith said.

It was perjury, he said.

"Everyone who spoke here spoke under oath and I think somebody must go to jail," he said.

There was no way the committee could let it go, he emphasised.