Monday, July 24, 2017

SABC appoints Nomsa Philiso as latest acting CEO; SABC TV division again rudderless as both top two positions are vacant.


The out-of-cash SABC that has been hammering top executives for the past year and a half and that continues to lose top executives, rushed to appoint the SABC's TV boss, Nomsa Philiso as the latest new acting SABC CEO after James Aguma, embroiled in scandals, abruptly quit last week.

Thabile Dlamini has been appointed as the latest acting chief financial officer (CFO) at the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, replacing Audrey Raphela who was also removed under a cloud as she's implicated in several dubious multi-million contract deals of the SABC.

Bessie Tugwana will remain on as acting chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC in the post left vacant by the controversial and now fired, famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The chairperson of the SABC's interim board, Khanyisile Kweyama signed the three acting positions to be in effect until 12 October 2017.

It is just the latest top level executives moves at the SABC, where never-ending high-ranking executive changes are indicative of not just the unstable and ongoing palace intrigue that continues to grip and morbidly fascinates South Africa's TV industry, but of how really bad and gutted the internal management of the public broadcaster has become.

Nomsa Philiso became the SABC's TV boss in August 2016 but her move to acting SABC CEO once again leaves South Africa's TV industry fearful and wondering about what's happening at the embattled public broadcaster that's struggling to pay local South African producers.

The SABC didn't announce an acting replacement and acting executive for the SABC's role of group executive for television - the SABC's highest TV executive position - with Nomsa Philiso shifting to the acting CEO position.

Trying to claw back from ongoing turmoil and making the situation at the SABC's TV division even more dire to outside observers, is the fact that Maijang Sam Mpherwane will finally be officially gone at the end of this week as SABC TV's number two executive in charge in the position of general manager for SABC television.

What it means is that the SABC's TV division, from August, will have no specific executives as permanent appointments in the top two executive positions in its television division - extremely important and crucial positions that look after and supervise all TV matters at the public broadcaster.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't issue any public press statement about the new acting appointments but the SABC told its staffer "citizens" in an internal email that "staff members are encouraged to support the executive directors in their roles in taking the organisation to greater heights. We wish them all the best during their tenure".