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South Africa: Mpofu, Pahad Clashed 'Over PSL Rights Saga'
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Business Day (Johannesburg)
21 July 2008
Posted to the web 21 July 2008
Jocelyn Newmarch
Johannesburg
MINISTER in the Presidency Essop Pahad attended an SABC briefing in March where he allegedly harangued the newly appointed directors over the board's loss of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) broadcasting rights and the broadcaster's news judgment.
This came to light last week after suspended SABC boss Dali Mpofu theorised that Pahad might have been responsible for him being pushed out, after the two clashed at the briefing.
Mpofu said Pahad might have been responsible for the fallout between him and the board.
He said Pahad was unhappy with the SABC's handling of the PSL rights and "tried to shout me down" at the briefing.
"I do not stand for political interference. I shouted back," he said.
Pahad, as Mpofu pointed out, had no reason to attend the meeting as his mandate does not involve the SABC.
The March briefing between directors and ministers was the first of its kind, said Mpofu. In attendance were Deputy Sports Minister Gert Oosthuizen, Deputy Education Minister Enver Surty, Transport Minister Jeff Radebe, Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri and her deputy, Roy Padayachie, and Pahad. Matsepe-Casaburri convened and chaired the meeting and drew up the agenda
At the briefing, Pahad is said to have interrogated the board on the SABC's news judgment and policies and said ministers "ought to be given the opportunity to immediately provide their comments on the story".
He had questioned Mpofu on the broadcaster's handling of negotiations for the PSL broadcasting rights.
He had also emphasised that ministers had the right to comment on stories.
Commentators approached by Business Day said Pahad might have been expressing an opinion, but the danger was that his opinion could easily be perceived as an implied instruction, especially as the opinion came directly from the highest office in the land, and Pahad had previously been directly involved in SABC matters.
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When approached for comment, Pahad's office said: "The SABC is a public broadcaster and the minister has full respect for the way in which the public broadcaster was set up as well as the fiduciary responsibility of the board and its management. As such, the minister never has, nor ever will, interfere in the decisions of the SABC board and management."
A good example of rights confered by man are just as easily taken away by man.
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