Speaker tells Faith Muthambi he cannot overrule SABC report

15th March 2017 By: News24Wire

Speaker tells Faith Muthambi he cannot overrule SABC report

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi

The Acting Speaker of the National Assembly Lechesa Tsenoli told the Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi on Tuesday that he is unable to change the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) report which implicates her in the public broadcaster's governance problems.

"Lechesa Tsenoli has responded to the letter of...Faith Muthambi, in which she expressed dissatisfaction regarding certain elements of the resolutions," the National Assembly said in a statement.

"Parliament wishes to state that the Speaker of the National Assembly has no powers to overturn resolutions adopted by the House."

The Star reported that Muthambi had written an explosive letter to Speaker Baleka Mbete to say she was taking the "irrational and unlawful" ad hoc committee report on review.

Muthambi reportedly wrote that she felt "ambushed" by the process, and that her constitutional rights had been violated.

She wanted the implementation of the inquiry's recommendations halted until the court makes a ruling, the report read.

Department of Communications spokesperson Mish Molakeng on Friday told News24 that Muthambi plans to contest Parliament's SABC inquiry report in court.

Molakeng did not want to comment further on the matter, saying the minister's reasons would be made known once the process officially got underway.