A heated dispute has erupted between the ANC-led Government of National (GNU) and the DA over the
contentious SABC Bill.
At the centre of the storm is Communications Minister Solly Malatsi, a DA member, who has withdrawn
the bill from Parliament, citing the need for major changes.
The ANC has vehemently opposed the withdrawal, with Khusela Diko, chair of Parliament’s portfolio
committee on communications, condemning Malatsi’s actions as “unwarranted” and “unconstitutional”.
Diko argued that the bill belongs to the Cabinet as a whole, not individual ministers, and that Malatsi’s
unilateral decision to withdraw it was a “dangerous misrepresentation of the law”.
Malatsi, however, remains resolute, stating that the Speaker of the National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, was
in violation of parliamentary rules by failing to withdraw the bill despite his instruction to do so.
The minister emphasised that the bill requires significant changes, particularly regarding the funding
model and the powers accorded to the minister to appoint board members of the proposed commercial
subsidiary of the SABC.
The standoff highlights the tensions within the Government of National Unity, with the ANC and DA
engaging in a war of words over the bill.
The ANC has accused Malatsi of “dilly-dallying” and urged him to develop a funding model for the
SABC, which is desperately needed.
The DA, on the other hand, has emphasised the need for transparency and accountability in the bill