After months of speculation and uncertainty President Cyril Ramaphosa has finally appointed the SABC board.

The appointment of the new board for the next five years comes after civil society organisations had threatened to take Ramaphosa to court over the delay.

Ramaphosa had brought back the list to Parliament a few months ago, but after discussions in the national legislature the list of people to be appointed to the board was confirmed.

Former SABC news boss Phathiswa Magopeni is part of the new board. Former South African Human Rights Commission CEO Tseliso Thipanyane also joins the board.

Magdalene Moonsamy, who is a lawyer, is a board member.

The five-year term of the previous board, which was chaired by Bongumusa Makhathini, ended in October last year.

But some of its members had resigned in the process.

No SABC board had served a full term of office since 2007 when Eddie Funde chaired that board. Previous boards had been dissolved before they completed their term.

When the board chaired by Makhathini finished its term last October only four out of the 12 members were left out of the original members chosen by Parliament in 2017.

Ramaphosa announced on Tuesday that Unisa senior official Khatutshelo Ramukumba would chair the board while Nomvuyiso Batyi would be the deputy chairperson.

“The SABC is a vital institution of our constitutional democracy. I trust the newly appointed board members will work hard at ensuring that South Africa continues to benefit from a stable, independent and effective national public broadcaster,” said Ramaphosa.

After Parliament approved the appointment of the board last October, members of Parliament called for Ramaphosa to appoint it.

Political parties raised the matter in Parliament several times.

It was confirmed that the list sent to Ramaphosa was lawful.

siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za

Current Affairs