Cape Town - The Worcester Muslim Jamaah (WMJ) and others have raised serious concerns related to financial governance and gender issues against the Muslim Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)’s board of trustees (BOT) and board of management (BOM).
The WMJ is one of the founding trustees of the MBC with the MBC broadcasting as the Voice of the Cape (VOC).
In a statement, WMJ said it was supported by the Jamia Mosque in Bo-Kaap and other MBC founding trustee representatives.
The WMJ said it decided to go public after redress efforts at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, and Master of the Cape Town High Court were unsuccessful. WMJ said that it would also be taking its concerns to the relevant Parliamentary portfolio committee.
Financial concerns related to a violation of the Popia Act over creditworthy checks of two of the trustees without their knowledge.
Also raised were a new vehicles’ finance deal – worth more than R1.5 million – which was for the current BOT chairperson’s car dealership, citing that this was a flagrant conflict of interest; the purchase of photocopy machines worth R300 000 without the necessary quotations and due process; the appointment of an accounting controller who was also the wife of a former general manager of the station (and who reported directly to her husband); a salary hike of nearly 50% for a single employee without BOT’s and BOM’s knowledge and approval; as well as under-reporting of financial performances.
The BOT and BOM chairs held on to their positions for 10 and 20 years respectively despite a 2002 MBC AGM ruling that those positions can only be held by founding trustee members, according to the statement.
Contrary to Icasa regulations, in that family members may not serve on the trust, two family members (direct cousins) who are trustees serve as a BOT secretary and a BOM secretary at the MBC/VOC. There was also an alleged failure to implement findings of a “scathing auditor’s report pertaining to near corruption”.
Women trustees with legitimate concerns were reportedly “kept in check using religious slanted approaches”.
VOC station manager Goolam Fakier said VOC acknowledged the allegations.
“We wish to place on record that we have responded to Icasa, and the matter is currently pending resolution. However, as soon as we have received an outcome from Icasa we will be in a better position to respond to the allegations made by Mrs (Feirouz) Williams,” Fakier said.
“We treat these allegations with utmost importance and wish to affirm that we are actively addressing the matter in accordance with our established internal policies and procedures.”