Publications
Partners
- Mamodupi Mohlala has been shortlisted for a seat on the SABC board despite her suspension as CEO of the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority.
- Months after being axed as the SABC's head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni was also shortlisted for a seat on the broadcaster's board.
- Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications will hold interviews with 37 candidates this week for a new SABC board.
- Get the biggest business stories emailed to you every weekday, or go to the Fin24 front page.
Suspended Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority (PPRA) CEO Mamodupi Mohlala and the SABC's axed head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni have made the shortlist to fill vacancies at the state broadcaster's board.
A subcommittee of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Communications will officially kick off its interviews of 37 candidates to fill 12 vacancies on the SABC board. The interviews are set to take place between Tuesday and Friday.
While the current board's term is set to expire in October, at least five of the shortlisted candidates to be interviewed this week, including Mohlala, are currently serving on the outgoing board.
A non-government organisation, Public Interest SA, has written to Parliament, asking that Mohlala be removed from the shortlist of candidates.
The NGO noted Mohlala's suspension at the PPRA following a complaint to the Public Service Commission as a matter of concern. Mohlala's matter is currently before the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).
READ | We owe property sector an apology, says regulator as whistleblower report sparks damning probe
Magopeni was axed by the SABC in November following charges of negligence and bringing the public service broadcaster into disrepute following the airing of an interdicted episode of the investigative journalist television show, Special Assignment. Magopeni took the SABC to the CCMA in February, stating that her disciplinary process was flawed and unfair.
Not a 'fit and proper candidate'
Public Interest SA chair, Tebego Khaas, wrote to the chair of the Portfolio Committee on Communications, Boyce Maneli, asking that Mohlala withdraw her candidacy for the SABC board.
"Under the circumstances, we beseech your committee to request Ms. Mohlala to withdraw her candidature in the public interest failing which you should disqualify her candidature as she doesn't qualify to be deemed a fit and proper candidate," Khaas wrote.
Khaas wrote that Mohlala was on suspension as CEO of the PPRA reportedly after a complaint against her was filed with the Public Service Commission in 2021. Mohlala is accused of wrongdoing including multiple irregular appointments at the PPRA and fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
"Following the findings of the forensic investigation of the allegations against Ms. Mohlala which include contraventions of pension fund legislation and rules, irregular appointments of staff, appointments of underqualified persons, flouting of procurement processes leading to irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, and fraud, the board also resolved to refer criminal allegations to the law-enforcement agency," Khaas' letter said.
READ | R3.2 billion failed to bail out SABC, oversight committee hears
According to the PPRA board, a report from a forensic investigation also shows that Mohlala failed to ensure that its pension fund contributions were collected and paid to the fund. PPRA chair Steven Ngubeni said the authority would take further action soon, including pursuing possible criminal charges.
Approached by Fin24 for comment, Mohlala said: "In this country, one is innocent until proven guilty. I have denied and defended all allegations against me and once the disciplinary hearing is complete it will bear me innocent."
"Also if one were to go on the premise that once you are charged then you are excluded from all other interviews then that would be a direct violation of one’s right to economic activity," Mohlala said.
She called her suspension, and how it was handled, "a clear violation" of her rights as a human being, adding that she was never allowed to respond to allegations by either the forensic auditors or the board itself.
By 29 September, the committee will compile a report on the appointment of non-executive SABC board members which will be considered by the National Assembly. After that President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to receive the report and finalise the appointments.
Last week the parliamentary committee considered 120 nominations that were received in the prescribed period. The committee resolved to interview three candidates per non-executive board candidate position.
During the interviews, each candidate will get 45 minutes and the verification of qualifications will take place within five days, or three weeks for candidates who got their relevant qualifications overseas.
Candidates must be appointed by the president on the recommendation of the National Assembly and the process is expected to be finalised by 15 October, as the term of the current board expires.
