OUTA commends the SABC Parliamentary Report’s recommendations

According to Ben Theron, Portfolio Director at OUTA, the Portfolio Committee acted on behalf of the citizens by investigating the misconduct within this State Owned Entity. “We want to thank the Ad Hoc Committee for investigating the misconduct within the SABC and we appreciate the way in which they embraced OUTA’s investigations report.”

OUTA indicated that it will take further action against procurement irregularities that were not addressed by the inquiry and that it will also monitor the progress on the recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Committee to ensure that those who abused their authority will be brought to book.

The committee found the minister to be incompetent in carrying out her duties and that she interfered in the Board's decision-making and other processes. “We strongly believe that the President should dismiss the Minister from her role and that she be held personally liable for the cost of her appeal regarding the Judgment against the Minister’s decision to dissolve the Board in December 2016, said Theron.

OUTA also commended the decision that the Chairperson be held personally accountable for paying the cost of the interdict he tried to obtain, to stop the Ad Hoc Committee from investigating the SABC.

Other recommendations which deserve praise included the following:

• appropriate steps must be taken against any current or former employees and board supporters who are found to have been complicit in the wasteful expenditure at the SABC - which included irregular contracts and performance bonuses;

• the board must be formally dissolved and an Interim Board must be appointed immediately;

• the interim Board should urgently engage the Auditor-General to address all the findings relating to irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure and they should also institute an independent forensic investigation into questionable and irregularly awarded contracts.

OUTA stated that it was looking forward to working with the new SABC Board to identify issues and to institute remedial action against those transgressors.