Analysis
Khanyisile Kweyama, the SABC's new interim board chairperson, has been very decisive and clear in the direction the SABC needs to take moving forward. She's also been honest about the broadcaster's dire financial position.
Kweyama is the CEO of Business Unity South Africa. She was previously executive director of Anglo American SA, the first woman to hold such position at the company, and also served on the Telkom board.
She immediately won over the respect of many South Africans when she admitted that the SABC is not going to wing their way to finding a better suited and comprehensive policy to replace Hlaudi Motsoeneng's 90 percent local content policy -- which she added was not working.
Kweyama announced Motsoeneng's dismissal on Monday, an action which has been deemed long overdue. This announcement came after the SABC's former COO was found guilty of bringing the public broadcaster into disrepute in April.
#SABC chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama says the rest of fired #HlaudiMotsoeneng's 1 year contract will NOT be paid out. pic.twitter.com/GWLtGNsdf8
— TVwithThinus (@TVwithThinus) June 13, 2017
A look at the chairperson's track record, affirms that she knows what she is doing.
Kweyama has a wealth of business experience which means she will bring a multifaceted approach to the public broadcaster. She was recognised as one of the most influential women in mining in Africa by CEO Communications and was listed as one of the Top 100 women to watch in the FTSE 100 Companies 2014 report.
Kweyama's strong voice in the country's powerful business community is an indication that she is more than capable of chartering the journey of freeing the SABC from the clutches of state capture.
Khanyisile Kweyama pure diligent, fearless & humble soul...seeing her makes me miss corporate sector.
— Lucky Neneh (@LuckyNeneh) May 10, 2017
Kweyama said the interim board has already made progress in the appointments of key positions at the SABC, saying there are "some good CVs" for the positions of CEO and COO. She also expressed on Monday that the "SABC interim board is not anti-transformation," in reference to the restructuring of the SABC's policy framework.
It would seem Kweyama's leadership may at least give the public broadcaster more than a fighting chance of picking itself up.