Key governance roleplayers Minister

1
Key governance roleplayers Minister DOC,
ICASA, Parliament, SABC Board, SABC Management
and the Public

• Kate Skinner
• SOS Coordinator

2
Role of the Minister and Dept of Communications

• Currently
• The SABC is a public company - the state
  (represented by the Minister) is the sole
  shareholder of the SABC.
• Role of Minister outlined in Articles annually
  signed Shareholder Compact.
• The Articles give the Minister (not the board)
  the right to determine the appointments of the
  GCEO, COO and CFO approve the GCEOs employment
  contract, insists on the submission of the annual
  report and financial statements to the Minister
  with no mention of Parliament, corporate plans
  must be submitted to the Minister, monthly
  management accounts.
• Ideally
• Timeous policy and oversight role.

3
Role of ICASA

• Currently
• Setting licence conditions and ensuring
  compliance
• Ensuring the SABCs adherence to its Charter and
  legislative compliance
• Ideally
• Key regulator of the public broadcaster
• Active monitoring of licence conditions, Charter
  and legislative compliance
• Making timeous interventions to protect public
  interest in the SABC eg. appointments, content
  etc

4
Role of Parliament

• Currently
• Appointments
• Oversight of SABC in terms of content, board
  functioning, finances
• Passage of legislation
• Oversight of other stakeholders DOC, ICASA
• Ideally
• Ensuring/protection independence of the SABC
• Appointing appropriate Board members skills,
  representivity, non-party aligned
• Proper oversight
• fulfilling public mandate and ensuring public
  interest is protected
• sustainability of finances, sound financial
  management
• Appropriate board/senior management functioning
• Ensuring sufficient funding
• Passing proper legislation
• Ensuring Minister, DOC, ICASA etc plays
  appropriate roles to protect public interest ie
  integrity of the SABC

5
Role of SABC Board

• Currently
• The Board, in terms of the Broadcasting Act
  controls the affairs of the Corporation,
  entrusted with compliance with the Charter and
  ensuring the broadcaster meets the objectives for
  public broadcasting in South Africa but Minister
  undermines this role.
• Is the accounting authority. This gives the Board
  particular financial responsibilities and makes
  them accountable for mismanagement. Creates
  confusion re management / board responsibilities
  
• Ideally
• The CEO should be the accounting officer as in
  constitutional entities.
• Appoint and oversight of executive directors and
  senior management
• Develop strategies to meet public mandate and
  ensure these are implemented
• Protect the public interest generally

6
Role of SABC Management

• Currently
• The legislation provides for an Executive
  Committee (which is accountable to the Board and
  responsible for administration). Made up of the
  three executive members of the board and up to 11
  others.
• However, is in open conflict with the board,
  factional, has management experience but not
  broadcasting experience
• Ideally
• Needs specific broadcasting knowledge/skills
• Non-party aligned
• Implement Board-approved strategies to meet
  public mandate
• Protect the public interest especially re
  content, finances

7
Role of the Public

• Currently
• Public is supposed to play a key role in
  nomination of the Board.
• Various complaint structures available to the
  public in terms of ICASA, the SABC itself etc.
• The SABC has to draft its editorial policies
  through public consultation
• Ideally
• Mandatory mechanisms to provide for public
  participation
• Audience forums
• Civil society forums re shaping SABC-related
  legislation, regulations and licence conditions
  etc