President Jacob Zuma is at the centre of the rot at the SABC, says Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane.
“Jacob Zuma has captured state institutions. He, in turn, has been captured by the Guptas as he was captured by Schabir Shaik. He has deployed people at the institutions of government like the National Prosecuting Authority, SA Airways and now we are seeing it at the SABC,” Maimane said in Soshanguve yesterday.
This comes after the shock resignation of SABC chief executive officer Jimi Matthews yesterday, who said he could no longer be complicit in the way the public broadcaster is run.
“What is happening at the SABC is wrong and I can no longer be part of it,” Matthews said in his resignation letter.
“For many months I have compromised the values that I hold dear under the mistaken belief that I could be more effective inside the SABC than outside,” the veteran journalist said in the letter which he posted on Twitter.
“In the process the prevailing, corrosive atmosphere has impacted negatively on my moral judgement and has made me complicit in many decisions which I am not proud of.”
Matthews’ resignation comes days after he submitted a court affidavit in the legal battle surrounding SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng. In it, he argued the SABC could not afford to lose Motsoeneng’s “rare” skills should a court ruling which invalidated his appointment in 2014 be allowed to stand.