- The SABC's meeting with the Standing Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday ended abruptly.
- It was decided to reschedule the meeting since the SABC still has no board.
- The public broadcaster has an accounting officer who has operated with little oversight from a board.
Operating without a board for the last six months, the broken SABC is on autopilot.
On Wednesday, SABC management and officials from the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa).
From the onset, the meeting was in a shambles for officials as SABC group CEO Madoda Mxakwe told the committee he was there in his capacity as the accounting officer only.
Given that the SABC has no board, there is no accounting authority.
This means that Mxakwe, who operates with no oversight, has little power to implement strategies and plans for the public broadcaster if there is no board to approve the plans.
Mxakwe said he had reservations about taking the position due to the department placing financial "constraints" on him.
In a letter to Mxakwe, the department advised him not to enter into major financial commitments.
Deputy Communications Minister Philemon Mapulane was informed of Mxakwe's decision during the meeting and had no prior knowledge of it.
Scopa chairperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa and several other MPs were highly irritated.
"The CEO only received his letter [to assume position of accounting authority] in February. There has been no board since October. That is five months. These technicalities are now bound to arise because there is no urgency.
"That is the issue. There is no urgency because for five months, there has been no accounting authority," he said.
Hlengwa added that due to the delays, the appointment of an accounting authority had become a problem.
"This speaking in vague and ambiguous terms over serious matters is just a dereliction of duties. It falls flat on its face," he said.
Mxakwe also said he was not the accounting authority because the department did not respond directly to his concerns about financial commitments.
The meeting was postponed indefinitely.
The chaos at the SABC lingers as President Cyril Ramaphosa is yet to approve the names of new board members.
In December, the National Assembly resolved to recommend to Ramaphosa the 12 shortlisted candidates for final appointment.
Nearly a year ago, News24 reported that the R3.2-billion bailout government had given the SABC three years ago did little to improve its financial position.
Irregular spending and other financial concerns are still troubling the public broadcaster.
ANC MP Nokuzola Tolashe said the SABC remained problematic and had made attempts to address challenges.
"People are holding onto their own powers. I am looking at the SABC in another light. It has gone back to where it was and it [is] even worse now. The days of Mr Hlaudi…it has really deteriorated to that level. It is so disappointing," she said.