The Times
*Numsa slams SABC news appointment* * * *Sapa , The Times, Johannesburg, 21 May 2010*The National Union of Metalworkers of SA has slammed the reported appointment of Phil Molefe as head of SABC News saying it raises fears that the public broadcaster is being turned into a propaganda machine
"We are deeply concerned about this seemingly unprocedural and flawed appointment of Molefe as the head of news".
Numsa says the appointment raises serious suspicions that the GCEO [SABC group chief executive Solly Mokoetle] acted to appease certain individuals who want to use the SABC as their propaganda spewing machine.
The union demanded that the appointment of a new news chief to fill the long-vacant post of Snuki Zikalala be done "through a transparent and open process".
It says the decision to appoint Molefe "compromises the board's immediate mandate of rebuilding the public broadcaster from the board's previous squabbles and shenanigans".
Molefe has been acting in the position since Zikalala left just more than a year ago.
There is considerable confusion on Friday as to whether he had indeed been appointed on a permanent basis.
Mokoetle on Thursday issued a statement saying: "The board and I are happy that this matter has been brought to finality as promised as this was a key vacant position that needed to be filled to stabilise the corporation."
But newspapers reported on Friday that Felleng Sekha, the deputy chairwoman of the SABC board and head of the board's news subcommittee, said the board had yet to take a decision.
The Cape Times said Sekha recorded an interview for SABC's PM Live radio programme in which she distanced herself from the executive's decision but it was never aired.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago could not be reached for comment. Mokoetle's appointment on a five-year contract also sparked an outcry when the new board complained that the decision had been "imposed" by Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda.
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article462182.ece/Numsa-slams-SABC-news-appointment*
-- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
<<attachment: TheTimes.jpg>>
