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Memorandum of Demands and Expectations

By South African Civil Society to the SABC Board and Parliament

We Demand that,

The SABC, as a public service broadcaster with a public interest mandate, who claims “people centred” as one of its primary values will,

1. Demonstrate in the exercising of all its functions that South African citizens, also its license fee payers, are its primary stakeholders;
2. Ensure that the SABC Board and Organisation always seek to represent the interests of its primary stakeholders;
3. Pro-actively seek engagement with primary stakeholders, to ensure that primary stakeholder interests and views are continually assessed and fed into the decision making mechanisms of the Board and Organisation;
4. Conduct all its functions, from operation to governance, with high standards of transparency and openness;
5. Articulate, adopt, publish and make readily available to the public through their offices, website and upon request:

a. Protocols that detail how both the SABC Board and Organisation will discharge its functions, including but not limited to their primary functions and responsibilities, what the division between their respective functions will mean in practice, when and how it will inform the public on decisions that will in any way affect delivery of service, and internal complaints mechanisms to address primary stakeholder concerns;

b. Details of the process and outcomes of decisions that will in any way affect service delivery, including reasons and key considerations, on a timely basis and according to established protocols.

c. Minutes and transcriptions of Board meetings in line with the Promotion of Access to Information Act.

We expect that,

Parliament, as representatives of the peoples of South Africa, will,

1. Recognise and demonstrate in all decisions and actions regarding the SABC (Board & Organisation) that South African citizens are the public broadcaster’s primary stakeholders;
2. Facilitate and ensure that the SABC Board and Organisation have the capacity and prerogative to fulfill the above demands;
3. De-politicise the SABC Board appointment process, and ensure that citizen’s interests are fully and fairly represented in the Board and in the Board appointment process;
4. Explore, support and bring into being any legislation, or amendment of legislation that will enable the above demands and expectations;