News reports suggest that the ANC in Parliament wants to amend the Broadcasting Act to give Parliament the power to hire and fire the SABC Board.
This is a dangerous and astonishingly stupid idea because it would make the SABC Board directly beholden to the majority party in Parliament. If the National Assembly can fire the SABC board they will be tempted top put pressure on the board to toe the party line or be fired. This will scupper any last vestige of independence at His Masters Voice.
Can one trust any majority partuy in parliament not to abuse such power? The answer is, of course, that one cannot. Besides section 192 of the Constitution states that national legislation must establish an independent authority to regulate broadcasting in the public interest, and to ensure fairness and a diversity of views broadly representing South African society.
This suggests that broadcasting must occur in the public interest and that the SABC should not be beholden to the majority party whims in Parliament.
What is required is not more political control of the SABC but LESS political control. The reason why there is such a mess at the SABC is exactly because Mbeki forced the National Assembly to appoint a Board it had not selected. This was probably illegal but now it is a bit late to do anything about it.
Much better would be to amend the Broadcasting Act to ensure that the appointment of the SABC Board is de-politicised. But the chances of this happening is about as slim as the chances of Robert Mugabe having tea with Morgan Tsvangirai.
Ai politicians. What did we do to deserve them?
The SABC is a stark illustration that either the ANC or its president cannot ‘manage’ the countrys president. Is this necessarily a bad thing, I am not too sure.
With new reports of branch meeting violence in Mpumalanga one has no option but to ask what is happening to the organisation we love so dearly. Is there someone in control there. My heart is truly sore.
Khosi, don’t you feel as those members with a brain have taken a step back and said: it’s your funeral!
I feel as though too many of us are waiting for the party leadership to implode so that we can be proven right. Look, perhaps the ANC needs this anarchy to come of age. But I feel uncomfortable saying to the party who has been leading the country for 14 years that it’s finally growing up and possibly getting over the Struggle (because psychologically we have to let go of that mindset sometime, even if socially and economically battles still need to be fought). But when we listen to the threats, the machine gun slogans, the intimidation of our judicial institutions, the vacuum in policy only now to be developed and decided upon now that the left-wingers have gotten into positions of power, I wonder how many ANCs there are.
I feel confused right now. My soul does not rest easy with these “leaders” yet my heart knows no other home.
Mpho the feeling you describe is exactly what many young progressive Afrikaners felt about the NP.
You have two choices, join the party and take part in the structures and be a positive influence (very difficult), or make the jump (makes your heart hurt).
Very sad choice.
Wessel, thanks for that. After I had writen I felt I’d betrayed a confidence. Thank you for not capitalising on my honesty in a negative way but rather chose to question whether we are all at an ideological crossroads. I believe we’ll be the stronger for it, regardless of our decision.
Khosi and Mpho
I’ve been thinking a lot about what to say about your comments here. Maybe I shouldn’t say anything, since I don’t know what to say. I just felt I wanted to say that I hear your pain, and felt sad with you while reading your heartfelt comments.
Thing is, in politics one should learn to trust no-one, not even one’s own flesh and blood, because power and lust after power has a way to really bring out the true character in one’s being – mostly bad.