President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed eight new board members to fill the vacancies on the board of the financially distressed SABC with immediate effect.

The president has wished the new board members well in their efforts to secure the corporation’s sustainability.

“The new members of the board will serve the unexpired term of office of the members who resigned from the SABC board, which will expire on 15 October 2022,” the presidency said in a statement on Friday.

In terms of section 13 of the Broadcasting Act, non-executive members of the SABC board must be appointed by the president on the advice of the national assembly following a process of public participation in the nomination and transparency and openness in the selection.

The new board members are, Mary Papayya, Jasmina Patel, Marcia Socikwa, Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi, Bernedette Muthien, Benjamin Motshedi Lekalakala, Sathasivan Cooper and David Maimela.

Mohlala-Mulaudzi has been appointed deputy chair of the board. — SANews