(Subcommittee) MDDA Board Interviews Day 3

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Communications and Digital Technologies

28 May 2020
Chairperson: Mr B Maneli (ANC)
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Meeting Summary

Video: Portfolio Committee on Communications (Subcommittee), 28 May 2020
Audio: (Subcommittee) MDDA Interviews day 3 

The Portfolio Committee's Interview Sub-Committee met to interview four of the shortlisted candidates for the Media Development and Diversity Agency (MDDA) Board vacancies. However, one of the candidate's experienced technical issues and the interview was rescheduled to the next day. Those interviewed were: Ms Leah Khumalo; Ms Rosie Motene; Mr Qondile Khedama. Each candidate was given fifteen minutes to introduce themselves and present on a topic. Thereafter, the candidate was asked questions.
 

Meeting report

The procedure for each of the interviews was that the Chairperson welcomed the candidate, explained the interview process and introduced the Committee members. The candidate introduced herself and made a presentation to the Committee. Refer to the audio for each candidate’s response to questions.

Interview 13: Ms Leah Khumalo
Mr T Gumbu (ANC) asked the candidate how her legal qualifications would assist if she were to be appointed to the MDDA board. He asked what the candidate's view was of promoting community media in a digital environment.

Mr C Mackenzie (DA) said the country was going through a tough time economically and COVID-19 has exacerbated this. MDDA’s mandate was critically important to give a voice to the voiceless. The MDDA budget would be revised and reduced due to COVID-19 and the MDDA would have to do a lot more with a lot less. He asked how the MDDA would go about doing this. He asked what the candidate would prioritise as an MDDA board member and how she would go about expanding the mandate and achieving its outcomes which is to have more voices represented, but for less money. He asked if the candidate was familiar with any challenges between the MDDA and ICASA and wanted an example of this. He asked the candidate to identify one role that the MDDA played in ICASA’s activities. If it is a positive role how would she enhance this and if it is a negative role, how would she resolve it. He asked what unique value the candidate would bring to the board in addition to her sector and legal knowledge.

Ms P Faku (ANC) asked for the candidate's understanding of media diversity in South Africa. Community radio has been a contested space, for example, where they have been located in close proximity and created a huge challenge for its relevance and sustainability. She asked what the candidate thought could be a solution to address this.

Mr B Maneli (ANC) referred to Ms Faku’s question and said it relates to the role of the MDDA in ensuring that different voices are heard at a community media level. He asked how the candidate would balance different voices being heard while ensuring that this was sustainable.

Ms N Kubheka (ANC) referred to the current socio-economic climate due to COVID-19 and asked what the candidate thought the MDDA could do differently in future to assist community radio stations to retain their audience. She referred to the lack of governance and accountability of the MDDA board in the past which was a great concern. She asked what the candidate thought led to this and what she would bring to the board to address and rectify these challenges.

The Chairperson thanked the candidate and gave her an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Interview 14: Ms Rosie Motene
Mr Gumbu asked what strategies the candidate would bring to address the mismanagement of funds at the MDDA. He asked what changes the candidate would make in terms of the current fundraising strategies. He asked what the candidate's understanding is of media freedom in South Africa.

Mr Mackenzie commented that the French government often sponsors arts and culture when the French language is used. Given the candidate's background, he asked if there are any agencies using the English language that would promote and finance productions that she is aware of and would she be able to leverage these connections to assist the MDDA to grow its film side. He asked if she was familiar with NEMISA and if she could offer an explanation on what NEMISA does and how she envisions MDDA working with NEMISA as it could play a key role in MDDA particularly with online training. He asked if the candidate could identify one controversial issue between the MDDA and ICASA over the last couple of years and asked how she would fix this. He referred to LGBTQI issues raised by the candidate and asked how she would drive issues on behalf of this community.

Ms Faku asked what the candidate understood by good corporate governance in the context of the role of the board. She asked what should be done to diversify the media landscape to ensure media diversity. How is media literacy important for the equality of citizenship.

Ms Kubheka asked why the candidate was interested in being on the MDDA board. She asked if the candidate would be able to assist the MDDA board with its current challenges. ICASA had to close a number of community radio stations in 2019 due to non-compliance with rules and non-payment of signal distribution fees. She asked what the candidate thought the MDDA could do to improve the situation. With a decline in print media consumption and a move toward digitisation, she asked what the candidate thought the MDDA outlook towards community print funding should be.

Mr Maneli asked for clarity on the point the candidate made on leveraging funding from international agencies. As funding from these sources can influence content, he asked the candidate how this could practically be dealt with.

The Chairperson thanked the candidate and gave her an opportunity to give closing remarks.

Interview 15: Mr Qondile Khedama
Mr Gumbu asked how the candidate's experience in communications could help in transforming the MDDA. He asked what the candidate's understanding was of the relationship between ICASA and the MDDA. If there is mismanagement of funds in the MDDA, what strategies would the candidate suggest to address this.

Mr Mackenzie said a lot of the candidate's training and development came through his political connections. , Should he be appointed, how would he encourage entities that the MDDA would fund to expand diversity of political voices. Within the last year there was an issue between Sentech and MDDA and he asked what this issue was and how the candidate would go about resolving this. He asked how the candidate would ensure that the mandate of the MDDA is carried forward innovatively with a reduced budget to ensure that the voiceless are heard.

Ms Faku asked if the candidate thought the MDDA should continue using its current business model or if it needs to be changed. She asked how the MDDA could remain relevant and financially stable in the digital era. She asked what needs to be done to diversify the landscape to ensure media diversity.

Ms Khubeka asked what the candidate would do to assist community radio stations to retain their audience. With a decline in print media consumption and a move toward digitisation, she asked what the candidate thought the MDDA outlook towards community print funding should be. Considering the challenging economic conditions South Africa faced which may lead to budget reductions at the MDDA, what innovative funding approaches would the candidate suggest for the MDDA going forward.

Mr Maneli asked for clarity on the candidate's comments on the need for stakeholders to be entrepreneurial about community media. He asked what role MDDA could play to ensure a balance in media diversity by creating a number of community radio stations which serve various interests versus the sustainability of this.

The Chairperson thanked the candidate and gave him an opportunity to give closing remarks.

The final candidate, Mr Dumile Mateza, experienced technical issues and was unable to connect to the meeting. His interview was rescheduled to Friday 29 May 2020.

Meeting adjourned.

 

Present

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