SABC Board Nominations: shortlisting

Meeting report

COMMUNICATIONS PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE
14 August 2007
SABC BOARD NOMINATIONS: SHORTLISTING

Chairperson: Mr G Oliphant (ANC)

Documents handed out:
SABC Board Members: List of Nominees

Audio recording of meeting

SUMMARY
From the list of 142 SABC Board nominees to the Committee, the Committee agreed to create a short list of nominees it would interview in the coming weeks. The Committee discussed if self- nominations should be accepted, if current SABC Board members should be interviewed automatically, and if candidates for the Board should be allowed to attend the Committee’s meetings during the selection process. After the discussion, each party gave its shortlist of nominees.

MINUTES

The Chair pointed out that the current SABC board would expire in December of this year and he would like to present recommendations for twelve good candidates to the National Assembly of Parliament by the end of September. The CVs had been circulated to all committee members and he commented that South Africa had a good calibre of candidates. He noted that the nomination process had been extended twice at the request of the public. Now the Committee’s different parties should consolidate their short lists so that the interview process could begin next week. He also stated that the SABC board would be asked to appear before the Committee to brief them on current issues including the Independent Producers' Organisation meetings and the financial management issues of the legal department.

The Chair said that some of the candidates had not been nominated, but had applied themselves and he asked the Committee to decide if those applications would be accepted. Some candidates had also not signed an acceptance form.

Ms D Smuts (DA) said that she did not have a difficulty with self-nominated candidates because this was supposed to be a public process and candidates should be free to participate and nominate themselves.

Ms S Vos (IFP) said that she had no problem with self-nominated candidates.

Mr K Khumalo (ANC) stated that all candidates who nominated themselves should be disqualified, as should all candidates who had not signed the acceptance form.

Adv P Swart (DA) did not think that self-nominated candidates were acceptable. People of appropriate standing for the positions should at least be able to follow the process outlined in the newspaper ad.

Mr K Kholwane (ANC) stated that the Committee had not allowed for self-nomination for some time and it would be improper to start now.

The Chair then raised the issue of repeat nominations of current Board members, and asked the Committee for a discussion on whether the current Board members should be automatically granted an interview with the Committee.

Ms Smuts said that sitting Board members should not automatically get short-listed. The Committee had great concerns about the Board and it has had problem after problem. They should not be treated as a separate group in the process and should not be given an advantage over other nominees.

Ms Vos stated that in the past the Committee had allowed the interview of re-nominated Board members because of the number that had been re-nominated. However, she would like to go beyond interviewing and interrogate Board members extensively about the problems with the Board. She would like more than the usual time with these candidates. She expressed her disquiet on this matter and that the public would expect the Committee to show they were taking this matter extremely seriously.

Mr Khumalo said that the Committee must not grant preferential treatment to existing Board members.

Adv Swart stated that there should not be a blanket inclusion of existing Board members.

The Chair said that he had looked into past practice and that included interviewing current Board members. However, the Committee could change that. Interviews did not have to be granted automatically. The Committee had no need to interrogate candidates as that they were within their rights to call Board members in at any time to explain the actions of the Board.

Mr Khumalo said that the Committee could interview current Board members, but it must be made clear to the public that no preferences would be given to them.

The Chair noted that the Committee would take three to four days to interview seven candidates daily starting on 22 August.

Ms Vos said that seven candidates a day was pushing it because the Committee really needed time to make up their minds about these candidates.

Mr Khumalo said that the more the Committee delayed, the more negative attention it received for this process. The process should be speedy as the names of the candidates had already been in the press. There should be no more than forty candidates on the shortlist.

Mr Kholwane said that a list of twenty would be proper so as not to consume too much time during the interview process. However, the Committee should not panic and rush through the process. It might also be wise to interview the closest candidates first to save on transport costs.

The Chair said that seven would be the maximum number of candidates for a single day to allow forty-five minutes per candidate. This was not a magic formula and the Committee should give itself plenty of time for the interviews.

Mr R Pieterse (ANC) said he hoped the Committee’s action would lend credibility to the process because SABC was owned by the people of South Africa. However, it was not fair that one of the candidates, Ms S Booley, was present at the Committee meeting.

Ms L Yengeni (ANC) said that the Committee had never let interested parties sit in on Committee deliberations before.

Mr Khumalo said the Committee must not make its own rules. Though this was a public process and the candidate’s own conscience must guide whether they would sit in on the meetings.

The Chair said that if a candidate was due for an interview they could not participate in the meetings until after their interviews.

Mr M Mohlalonga (ANC) said that this was merely an academic question since this was a public, televised process.

Ms Smuts said the Committee was spending too much time on this question and that Ms Booley had a structural relationship with the Committee and SABC.

The Chair said that even though Ms Booley had now excused herself from the meeting, this was a question about all candidates for the Board.

Mr Khumalo said that this was a public process and if candidates wanted to come in and watch themselves get rejected they could. However, this was a new procedure.

The Chair said he would suspend a decision on this matter until the next meeting. He would not let the Committee derail the process by focusing on this question. Whatever was decided would apply to all candidates.

Adv Swart said that the Committee had received a number of documents that were separate from the CVs and asked if all of the documents had been put together so that the Committee was not missing any. He said he was missing a CV for Mr D Ximba.

The Chair said that the CV would be given to him and that the Committee staff had phoned for any missing documents during the application period.

The Chair noted he had received a letter of withdrawal from Mr Ntsebeza who felt that he would not have time to perform the necessary duties should he serve on the Board.

The Committee then presented their preferences for the shortlist.

Ms Vos presented the IFP shortlist:
28- Mr N Rau
35- Mr N Balovi
42- Ms B Thompson
43- Ms B Tema
48- Ms A Gilwald
50- Mr S Mkhungo
57- Ms L Lloyd
74- Prof A Habib
77- Mr O Shongwe
81- Mr B Vundla
83- Mr M Judin
84- Mr M Kgamedi
90- Prof S Mmusi
94- Mr P Raleigh
105-Mr S Steenkamp
115- Mr L Mtimde
121- Ms P Green
127- Ms L Mojela
131- Ms R Smith
135- Dr D Rajab

Ms Smuts presented her shortlist:
1-Mr B Ackers
28- Mr N Rau
43- Ms B Tema
48- Ms A Gilwald
56- Ms N Bulbulia
57- Ms L Lloyd
74- Prof A Habib
76- Mr M Seleone
77- Mr O Shongwe
80- Mr M Tshume
81- Mr B Vundla
83- Mr M Judin
94- Mr P Raleigh
106- Adv P Tlakula
113- Mr A Trikamjee
115- Mr L Mtimde
118- Ms S Mahlangu
121- Ms P Green
129- Dr F Ginwala
135- Dr D Rajab

Mr Swart presented his shortlist:
1-Mr B Ackers
12- Mr S Kgomo
28- Mr N Rau
29- Dr W Rowland
43- Ms B Tema
46- Ms M Majake
48- Ms A Gilwald
56- Ms N Bulbulia
57- Ms L Lloyd
74- Prof A Habib
81- Mr B Vundla
83- Mr M Judin
90- Prof S Mmusi
94- Mr P Raleigh
114- Dr M Yoyo
115- Mr L Mtimde
121- Ms P Green
129- Dr F Ginwala
131- Ms R Smith
135- Dr D Rajab

Mr Khumalo presented the ANC shortlist
6- Mr S Dzengwa
8- Mr Y Gounden
17- Adv N Memani-Balani
22- Ms F Moodley
26- Prof A Nondabula
29- Dr W Rowland
40- Ms J Nwokedi
41- Ms C Qunta
48- Ms A Gilwald
52- Mr W Mfebe
57- Ms L Lloyd
58- Mr A Mbeki
59- Ms Z Jaffer
60- Mr M Masilela
63- Mr C Msomi
68- Ms M Mohlala
71- Mr E Funde
73- Dr S Gulube
75- Mr R Howard
77- Mr O Shongwe
81- Mr B Vundla
85- Ms K Mkonza
86- Mr B Khumalo
91- Mr C Ngcukana
99- Prof B Pityana
101- Ms F Lagadien
106- Adv P Tlakula
107- Ms M Bhengu
113- Mr A Trikamjee
115- Mr L Mtimde
120- Mr D Golding
126- Mr M Ramaite
127- Ms L Mojela
128- Ms G Serobe
129- Dr F Ginwala
139- Mr S Rasethaba

The Chair said that the ANC should consider two other candidates and that he would bring their names to the next meeting.

The Chair said the list would be consolidated and members would have a copy that afternoon. The Committee would reconvene on 15 August and take up the issue of the shortlist again at the end of the meeting.

Mr Pieterse said that the shortlist should be the priority for the next meeting.

The Chair said that the Committee would deal with the original agenda item first, but that Members could keep the discussion short if they wished to save time.

The meeting was adjourned.