The Times *Alliance battles rage at SABC* /MK veterans and ANC Youth League enter the free-for-all/*Dominic Mahlangu and Khethiwe Chelemu, The Times, Johannesburg, 31 August 2010*
Squabbles in the SABC have spilled over into the political arena, deepening rifts within the ANC-led tripartite alliance.
The ANC's military veterans wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe yesterday came out in full support of suspended SABC group CEO Solly Mokoetle, lambasting board members aligned to Cosatu and the SA Communist Party.
Briefing the media yesterday, the veterans' national chairman, Kebby Maphatsoe, said certain SABC board members were determined to turn the public broadcaster into an "employment agency".
With the local government elections scheduled for next year, Maphatsoe said there were "counter-revolutionaries" on the board intent on taking over the SABC to push their political projects.
He said the association would lay criminal charges against members involved in corruption.
The Cosatu-affiliated Communications Workers Union will brief the media on its position on Mokoetle this morning. It is expected that the union will ask for Mokoetle and Ngubane to go.
Last week, Cosatu criticised Mokoetle and board chairman Ben Ngubane, saying they had "persistently undermined the SABC board, and ignored and overturned its decisions".
Cosatu said that without a functioning SABC board "we will see the return of the SABC being used for factional political purposes".
The ANC Youth League also entered the fray, accusing Mokoetle of using the veterans' association to fight his battles.
The league yesterday called for the SABC board to be allowed to manage its affairs. League national executive member Clifford Motsepe is a board member.
This latest crisis follows lastFriday's board decision to suspend Mokoetle for failing to meet the targets set for him.
They also accused Ngubane of flouting corporate governance by appointing Phil Molefe as head of news. Ngubane and Mokoetle have denied the allegation. Maphatsoe said they would defend Mokoetle.
Ngubane last week accused the board of being 'dysfunctional'.Attacking board member David Niddrie, also an SACP member, Maphatsoe said that Niddrie was a "yellow communist", who had allegedly billed the SABC R48000 for writing letters on its behalf.
Maphatsoe accused non-executive board member Cedric Gina of hiring a consultancy company belonging to a friend.
He said that Gina, as chairman of a board sub-committee, held weekly meetings at a cost of R5000 a participant.
"This seems to be an employment creation for non-executive members that have no means of income," Maphatsoe said.
He also lashed out at another board member, Robin Nicholson, saying: "He has counter-revolutionary tendencies. He has no credibility. How do you remove a clean person, and replace him with a corrupt person?"
Nicholson served as SABC's chief financial officer before he was suspended on allegations of financial mismanagement.
He was appointed as acting CEO with Mokoetle's suspension.SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said the board was aware of allegations made against Nicholson, Niddrie and Gina. "The board welcomes the investigations against its members, but we believe they have done nothing wrong," Kganyago said.
After a heated meeting yesterday at the SABC headquarters, chaired by Niddrie and Gina, senior SABC staff members told The Times that they demanded answers as to why the board had chosen Nicholson, with his track record, to replace Mokoetle.
About the meeting, Kganyago said: "The SABC, its management and the board have meetings where we address internal issues and today was one of them. It does not help us in any way if we take our staff meetings to the media."
ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu said: "We are deeply concerned about signs of instability within the leadership of the SABC. Where there are governance problems, the law should take its course."
*From: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/article633552.ece/Alliance-battles-rage-at-SABC*
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