Acting South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief executive Robin Nicholson, described in the findings of a disciplinary hearing last year as a “man of integrity, dedicated to the interests of the SABC”, is fighting to clear his name, which he says has been tarnished by board members seeking his removal from his post.
Nicholson told the Mail & Guardian that media reports at the weekend contained allegations by anonymous board members that targeted him as a result of previous allegations of financial mismanagement against him in an auditor general’s report.
Political pressure also appears to be a factor.
Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda has raised concerns with the board over Nicholson’s appointment and has made it known he would prefer another executive to be appointed to steer the ship.
Business Day reported Nyanda saying he was unhappy that the acting chief executive was “the subject of an investigation and was found to have acted irregularly.”
Reacting, Nicholson said that the auditor general’s report “never made allegations of financial mismanagement against me. Those allegations were all subject to a disciplinary inquiry in December. The findings never found fruitless and wasteful expenditure, nor fraudulent practices or corruption. What they did find were instances where administrative processes weren’t followed.”
After the board suspended chief executive Solly Mokoetle for failing to deliver a turnaround strategy for the SABC, it asked Nicholson to act in his place until the dispute was resolved.
Nicholson, the broadcaster’s chief financial officer, said he was “stunned” when he heard board members had discussed removing him at a meeting last week.
“Now they’re trying to say that I’m not fit and proper for the post,” said Nicholson.
“But they must first read the findings of a respected advocate at my disciplinary hearing.”
Nicholson said the disciplinary action taken against him after the auditor general’s report last year was the first in his 28-year career.
“I’m deeply embarrassed by what happened and I’m making every effort to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “I won’t make excuses. I could give you thousands of reasons for it and describe the chaos around me. But these were genuine mistakes. I’ve never questioned the findings. They were right to take disciplinary action.”
Nicholson said he would ask for the disciplinary findings to be tabled in Parliament when the communications portfolio committee meets to discuss board conflicts on October 19.
“I’ll ask for an opportunity to clear my name,” he said.
“For some reason, the findings of my disciplinary hearing have been kept under wraps.”
Since taking over six weeks ago, Nicholson said he had worked an 18-hour day in an effort to stave off disaster at the SABC.
Repayments on a R1-billion loan the corporation took last year to cover 20 08-20 09 must begin in February 20 12, but that seems unlikely to happen unless drastic steps are taken.
Annual results published last month show that the broadcaster will not be able to sustain itself as a going concern after September 20 11.
The report confirms it has been selling advertising airtime at reduced rates; news audiences have dived as it loses viewers to e.tv and DStv; and it lacks funds to buy new programming.
Yet the SABC board’s latest move to “recruit” former public broadcasting division chief Lulama Mokgoba or another candidate to the post of chief executive, while he returned to his post of chief financial officer would force the cash-strapped public broadcaster to fork out an annual salary of between R4-million and R6-million.
A further obstacle is that the broadcaster’s articles of association state that only executive directors may be appointed to the post.
Asked by Business Day whether changing the articles would not be a lengthy process, Nyanda responded: “Why should it take long? It’s me, I just have to sign the amended version.”
The Broadcasting Act specifies that the communications minister’s role should be limited to consultation on the SABC’s financial affairs.
Nyanda’s perceived interference has prompted objections from the Democratic Alliance that he is seeking to control the public broadcaster.
The SOS Support Public Broadcasting campaign has also protested against the SABC’s articles of association being changed in this way.
Last month former deputy board chairperson Felleng Sekha told the M&G in an interview that Nicholson was doing “an excellent job” in his acting post.
The board is expected to vote on the matter at another board meeting and was to meet Nyanda October 15.
SABC board chairperson Ben Ngubane would not comment on the Nicholson matter.