The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) group executive on Monday called on the board of the national broadcaster to step down immediately.
The call came after the Johannesburg High Court dismissed an application for leave to appeal against a ruling that the suspension of SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu was unlawful.
The executive had come to the conclusion that the board, as a collective, ”does not have the moral authority to continue to lead the SABC, and to continue to allow power to be abused”, SABC head of group strategy and risk Sipho Sithole said on Monday.
”We, too, have lost all confidence in the collective, and therefore call upon the board to step down with immediate effect in the interest of the SABC, its staff and the public that we serve,” Sithole told staff and media outside the entrance to the SABC head office in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
The executive claims that correspondence following the suspension of Mpofu on May 7 proved ”beyond any doubt” that certain board members did not have the interests of the SABC at heart, but were motivated by personal vendettas.
”We call upon those board members who share the same sentiments that the integrity of the SABC has been compromised by these individual vendettas to follow their moral conviction and step down.”
At the time of the announcement, staff members were circulating a petition calling for the removal of the SABC board from office.
”Please find herewith the voice of the concerned SABC management and staff with regard to the unprecedented harassment of [Mpofu].
”We have taken note of the court judgement that the SABC board continuously undermines at high financial cost. We call on you to intervene. Please, please, please.”
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the petition was not being circulated by the executive, but by staff members themselves.
He said Mpofu returned to his office at noon after the court judgement and was ”working as usual”.
Mpofu might even travel to Cape Town on Tuesday for the communication minister’s budget vote in Parliament, Kganyago said. — Sapa