Johannesburg — THE African National Congress (ANC) yesterday used its substantial parliamentary majority to drive through its choice of candidates for an interim board for the SABC, but stood accused by opposition parties of being a bully and failing to seek consensus.

At the heart of the row was the ANC's rejection of prominent academic Mamphela Ramphele when she was nominated by opposition parties. The ANC also found opposition to its choices in surprising places -- among its alliance partners, with both the South African Communist Party (SACP) and the Young Communists League opposing its choices.

The National Assembly yesterday approved Irene Charnley as chairwoman, Phil Mtimkulu as deputy chairman and Libby Lloyd, Suzanne Vos and Lesley Sedibe as the remaining board members.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Steve Swart said the ANC's behaviour in the SABC matter was in sharp contrast to the "grand promises" of President Jacob Zuma that the ANC would engage with opposition parties. "It is clear that, as in the past, the ANC used its majority to bulldoze its wishes through the communications portfolio committee.

"Regrettably, this means that the interim board will start off on the back foot, not enjoying broad political support, save for the concession made in appointing Sue Vos.

"This could easily have been avoided had the united opposition choice of Mamphela Ramphele been accepted," Swart said.

The Democratic Alliance and the Independent Democrats also complained loudly, not about the people chosen, but about the way in which the ANC had driven the process.

The SACP broke ranks with the ANC, saying it "strongly condemned" the new interim board because there were no representatives of the broader working class and civil society represented

"It is very unfortunate that this board will in the eyes of many of our people be an illegitimate board, which is being foisted on us based on personal interest of those who took this unilateral feat," the SACP said.

"This annoyance was made by an un-mandated people who think they are better than anyone else in the alliance. It is precisely such behaviour that led to the ousting of many of these leaders at the ANC conference in Polokwane."

The ANC welcomed the endorsement by Parliament of the five-member interim board, which will serve a three-month term before the permanent board is appointed.

The SACP's youth wing also condemned the board. "The interim board has no broader working class and civil society representation, thus liquidating and undermining the Broadcasting Act.

"We are disgusted that the interim board is constituted by elitist businessmen and women. This is precisely the reason which led to our calls for the out-gone board to be dismissed since it was not only constituted in a factionalist manner, but full of business elite," it said.

"We call on President Jacob Zuma to listen to our legitimate and principled concerns around the process of selection and representativity before approving the interim board. We further call for the reviewal of this board and the process to be reverted back to Parliament in the interests of having a truly representative board.

"As the league, we reiterate our unapologetic commitments towards building a people's broadcaster. It is for this reason that we are expressing our utter disgust at the appointment of this interim board."