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ANC allies slam Pahad
Date Posted: Friday 02-May-2008Minister in the presidency Essop Pahad was heavily criticised by the ANC's allies on Thursday for allegedly making the SABC board his "personal pet project".
Cosatu, the Young Communist League (YCL) and South African Communist Party (SACP) leaders used a May Day platform to urge board members to resign.
This comes after Wednesday's "vote of no confidence" in the board by the ANC-dominated National Assembly's communications committee.
But while the ANC's allies were praising the committee's action, ANC deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe expressed surprise when questioned about it by an SABC reporter at a May Day rally in Gauteng.
He also said the committee's vote of no confidence amounted to self-criticism by its members, given that they had recommended the board's appointment last year.
ANC MPs aligned to Jacob Zuma had maintained at the time that some of the board members were imposed on them by former ANC leader President Thabo Mbeki, and that qualified candidates supported by Cosatu and the SACP were passed over for those with links to the presidency.
Opposition parties also questioned Pahad's "hidden hand", given that his head of ministerial services, Louis du Plooy, had nominated businesswoman Gloria Serobe, a fact that was sidestepped during the public interview process.
Cosatu acting president, S'dumo Dlamini, urged the board to resign immediately. "We need a board that is representative of all people. Essop Pahad is the one who put this board there. If something has to be fixed it should start with the whole board resigning".
SACP General Secretary Blade Nzimande was elated at the communications committee's vote of no confidence.
He repeated that the board was appointed to serve a "particular factional and political agenda" and that Pahad, who had "prescribed" what the board should do, had also recently urged some of its members not to quit.
YCL National Secretary Buti Manamela also poured scorn on Pahad for interfering with the work of the SABC.
He said Pahad was "working tirelessly in ensuring that the board belongs to himself".
Manamela said the SABC board would be wise to step down because "it has lost the confidence of the ANC structures including the YCL, the ANC Youth League, the ANC parliamentary caucus and Cosatu".
Pahad's spokesperson, Samson Phakwago, said the minister was not available for comment as he was on holiday.