Zandile Ellen Tshabalala also known as Ellen Tshabalala is a former Chairperson of the
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). She was appointed Chairperson of the Board in September 2013, having previously served for six months prior as acting SABC Chairperson. She resigned on Wednesday, 17 December 2014.She died on 03 July 2022.
In July 2014, it emerged that she allegedly lied on her CV when she applied for the post of Chairperson of the
SABC.
The CV she put before the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications, under which the SABC falls, said she graduated from the
University of South Africa
The University of South Africa (UNISA), known colloquially as Unisa, is the largest university system in South Africa by enrollment. It attracts a third of all higher education students in South Africa. Through various colleges and affiliates, U ...
(
UNISA
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...
) with a BCom and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations. This claim was repeated in a statement by the presidency of
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
Jacob Zuma
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma (; born 12 April 1942) is a South African politician who served as the fourth president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018. He is also referred to by his initials JZ and clan name Msholozi, and was a former anti-aparth ...
, announcing her appointment. However, according to a Promotion of Access to Information Act application sent by the newspaper
City Press,
UNISA
The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...
said Tshabalala had neither of the qualifications that she claimed. UNISA's executive director of legal services and information, Jan van Wyk wrote in a letter to the newspaper City Press: "According to our records, no qualification was awarded to the mentioned individual."
According to Jan van Wyk, she registered for a BCom degree in 1988 and again in 1996 but had failed to complete the course. She had also registered for a diploma in labour relations in 199
In 2011, Mercedes Benz had requested confirmation of her qualifications from UNISA when she applied for a job there. The university had informed an intermediary of her failure to attain the qualifications she claimed.
Parliaments Portfolio Committee on Communications inquiry that began on 3 December 2014 into her qualifications found her guilty on two charges.
She was found guilty of misconduct for lying to Parliament about her qualifications.
She was further found guilty of lying in a sworn affidavit she submitted to Parliament in lieu of her academic records. She had claimed to have lost her qualification certificates when she had been burgled.
She had initially refused to resign, claiming that there was a political agenda behind her guilty verdict.
She further claimed that "elements within the alliance (
Tripartite Alliance)" were hell bent to purge and vilify her. "I am not willing to resign because I did nothing wrong."
Though there was no clear indication that the ANC played a role in her resignation, the
National Executive Committee (African National Congress)
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) is the party's chief executive organ. It is elected every five years at the party national conference; the executive committee, in turn, elects a National Working Comm ...
took a decision to urge her to stop fighting and resign.
At the time of the controversy, she was working on the following boards:
* The President’s Advisory Council on Broad-Based BEE
* Sishen Iron Ore Company
* Transnet Limited – SOC
* Transnet Foundation
* Cape Empowerment Limited
* Ascension Properties
* Port Shepstone Harbour Development Company
* Moral Regeneration Movement.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tshabalala, Ellen
Controversies in South Africa
Living people
University of South Africa alumni
Year of birth missing (living people)