THE SACP wants the MultiChoice television monopoly broken and has called on the Competition Commission to investigate the company’s hold on the country’s pay TV market.
The SACP has also called on Communications Minister Faith Muthambi and Parliament’s communications oversight committee to intervene and investigate allegations on the governance and operational challenges at the SABC.
The portfolio committee is chaired by Joyce Moloi Moropa, who is also the national treasurer of the SACP.
A deal between the SABC and MultiChoice to sell its historic archives to the latter is said to be at the centre of the current board turmoil and recent spate of exits, including that of board member Hope Zinde.
“The SACP wishes to place it on record that we are strongly opposed to the privatisation of the SABC archives as these are a national resource that must be kept in public hands.
The SACP said agreement between the SABC and MultiChoice needs to be made public.
“We also call upon the Competition Commission to investigate the monopoly hold of MultiChoice on the pay TV market,” it said.
The call came as the board for the first time defended its decision to remove Zinde, saying it was “under siege” and will never be able to survive as long as certain members of Parliament continue to interfere and divide the board.
The under-fire board says the only way it can “flourish” and deliver on its mandate is through non-interference from MPs.
Briefing members of the communications portfolio committee yesterday, acting chairman of the SABC board Professor Mbulaheni Obert Maghuve said the public broadcaster would “flourish” if certain MPs were not “dividing” members of the board and interfering in its business.
http://www.pressreader.com/south-africa/cape-times/20150318/281621008818517/TextView