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Dali Mpofu certainly started out well at the SABC, with his new vision for public broadcasting, called Public Service Broadcasting for Total Citizen Empowerment, promising to be a rallying call for all those committed to a vision for public service broadcasting. For the first time in recent history, the SABC had a CEO who was attempting to chart a new course for the SABC as a public broadcaster. However, this good start founded on the rocks of internal politics at the SABC. Mpofu has failed to address the single biggest problem in the SABC, namely a pro-status quo bias in reporting on the most controversial political questions of the day. Incidents such as the decision not to broadcast an Asikhulume interview with Jacob Zuma, the pulling of a song on Ukhozi supporting Zuma and the inept handling of the booing of the Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo- Ngcuka, pointed towards a tendency in the broadcaster to shield the Thabo Mbeki presidency from criticism: a tendency that was reinforced by the decision not the screen the controversial documentary on Mbeki. Most damaging of all was Mpofu's inept handling of the findings of a Commission of Enquiry into allegations of blacklisting. While his decision to appoint a Commission of Enquiry was a correct one, he mismanaged the process once the report was complete. However, blame cannot be laid at Mpofu's door alone. The fact that the Board expressed full confidence in Snuki Zikalala after the Commission's damning findings, strongly suggested that the Board did not support his attempt to tackle the problem. This strongly suggests a failure of governance at the level of the SABC Board, and point to the need for an entirely new Board. Had Mpofu been supported by a better Board, he could have done much more to address the editorial problems in the newsroom, and to a certain extent, the lack of an independently minded Board has meant that he has been set up for failure. But there are also problems that are entirely his own creation. Mpofu has proved to be relatively more accessible than other CEO's, especially when compared to Matlare and Mbatha. But Mpofu has also demonstrated an alarming tendency to misuse his almost unlimited access to SABC platforms to punt what amounts to pro-SABC propaganda. He has also been known to make some highly unstrategic and intemperate outbursts, painting all the Corporation's critics as reactionaries bent on bringing down the SABC's transformation efforts. Mpofu has failed the recognise the difference between engaging in robust public debate, and filibustering. Mpofu also assured witnesses in the Commission of Enquiry that they would not be victimised, yet 4 witnesses have been charged on various (seemingly unrelated) offenses, and three have since left. This must, at the very least, sound warning bells, and require closer scrutiny. Then there is the problem of declining staff morale, and the staff exodus of good people, which Mpofu has failed to stem. Coupled with this are the growing number of blunders. These included the decision to re-schedule the Thabo Mbeki documentary, and then withdraw it once again when they realised that insufficient publicity had been given to the re-scheduling, as well as the failure to engage sufficiently on the PSL soccer rights, while managing to scoop the English Premier League rights. The withdrawal of other controversial documentaries have pointed to editorial timidity. The growing number of technical errors in broadcasts also suggests a broadcaster that is starved of experienced broadcasting staff. On the upside, there is more evidence of local content on the SABC's platforms, including a sharp rise in television dramas. Mpofu can take credit for this. Also, the SABC is in a healthy financial state, although this could be attributed more to Peter Matlare's legacy of aggressive commercialisation rather than to Mpofu. However, the basics of an independent, accountable public broadcaster have yet to be achieved, and Mpofu's future under a new Board will stand and fall on the basics. If a new Board is appointed, that is committed to rescuing the editorial integrity of the SABC, then it is unlikely that they will want Mpofu to stay, as he will be associated too much with the type of institution that they want to get away from. The SABC is well known to be a snakepit, where people of integrity fall victim to vicious power politics and are squeezed out, leaving mediocrity to thrive. Mpofu has not managed to reverse this culture and put his stamp on the institution; as a result, he may well prove to be its latest victim.
Readers have left 2 comments. 1. MR
Ntanjana Akhona, Unregistered To comment I haven`t yet find reosons for abondoning these programs maybe Adv Mpofu and his staff were following SABC`s rules and obligations by broadcasting that documentary would have created a hot debate so Mpofu proved his intellectual capacity.Personally I`m of the opinion that people out there undermine Adv(CEO)since he is from Eastern Cape in rural areas.I hail Mpofu for fighting over PSL and SuperSport for SABC`s right to broadcast some matches,well done Tata. 2. BxGvpHaAnQjAkyVXv
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