City Press writes that with the three top positions at the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) filled by acting executives, the public broadcaster’s board and Communications Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane cannot agree who has the final say in making the permanent appointments.  

The board is relying on a judgment handed down by the Pretoria High Court in October last year which indicated that the SABC only needed to consult with the minister regarding the appointment of the group chief executive officer (CEO), chief operating officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO).  The judgment overturned former minister Faith Muthambi’s decision to arrogate to herself the power to appoint these executives.  In November, Kubayi-Ngubane filed papers to appeal the judgment.  The present standoff was brought to a head by Kubayi-Ngubane’s refusal to accept the appointment of former journalist and MTN corporate affairs executive Chris Maroleng to the COO position.  Kubayi-Ngubane said she was not necessarily opposed to Maroleng’s selection, but that a conditional offer should have been granted to him once the vetting had been concluded, to avoid embarrassment if he failed.  The SABC board wants Maroleng’s security vetting done by the end of the week, so that he can start his new job in February.  Meantime according to State Security Agency insiders, it was picked up during the vetting that Maroleng’s surname is Maroleni and that he is Zimbabwean.  SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said an appointment would only be announced when everything had been done.  

• Read this report by Setumo Stone in full at News24

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