adminHerald Reporter
MEDIA analysts yesterday said there was nothing wrong with a governing party nominating people to sit on the boards of strategic, public institutions as that was the only way to assert and implement policies captured in its election manifesto. The analysts spoke in the wake of reports that the ANC national executive sat to consider 17 candidates to sit on the SABC board, triggering accusations by opposition parties that the ANC was manipulating the appointment process to gain full control of the national broadcaster ahead of elections next year.
The reports say interns and staff at Luthuli House, the headquarters of ANC, were among those used to nominate new members to the SABC board.
The reports said that the list was drawn long before parliament put together its list.
It is alleged that parliament’s portfolio committee on communications was meeting this week only to rubber stamp the list.
Democratic Alliance said the incoming board was designed to ensure positive coverage of the ANC ahead of next year’s general elections but ANC sub-committee head of communications, Ms Lindiwe Zulu defended the involvement of the ruling party saying she and an ANC study group had decided on “fit and proper individuals, including comrades.”
In a memorandum, Ms Zulu said the ANC had a “high interest” at the SABC.
“That does not necessarily mean we want to interfere as the ANC. We are a governing party and, being a governing party, we have a high interest and that interest needs to be served by us being able to make sure that in all the strategic areas we have our own and we can’t be apologetic about it,” she said.
Midlands State University media lecturer, Dr Nhamo Mhiripiri said there was nothing wrong for a ruling party to nominate people whom it believes would be able to pursue and implement its manifesto in strategic units.
“They have got the legitimacy of the people. The talk of the need for a level of neutrality and impartiality de-linking from the state is theoretical, practically the ruling party would want people who understand and articulate their manifesto which manifesto was publicly endorsed by the people in an election,” said Dr Mhiripiri.
He said the governing party had legitimate interests on strategic organs particularly communication institutions whose role in society is regarded as the Fourth Estate.
Another media analyst, Mr Alexander Rusero said the notion that the media should be independent was “idealistic” but not “realistic.”
“The media operate on the realms of national interest and national security especially in Africa where people believe everything that they consume in the media. There is absolutely nothing wrong in the ruling party having an interest in the media. The only question is to what extend should the State involve itself in the media and not for it to reduce itself into a mere spectator,” said Mr Rusero.
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