Anger grows over Motsoeneng debacle
Minister slams SABC board’s ‘attempts to subvert the SCA’s ruling’
ANGER continued to grow over SABC head of corporate affairs Hlaudi Motsoeneng after the SABC financials were revealed yesterday, showing the board had increased his salary from R3.7 million to R4.1m despite the broadcaster posting hundreds of millions in losses.
This excludes the R33m bonuses due to Motsoeneng after he was paid R11.4m in bonuses for selling the archives of the SABC to MultiChoice.
The anger over Motsoeneng’s reappointment reached cabinet when they ordered him to immediately leave the SABC.
Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said the SABC board must stop violating the law and fire Motsoeneng after his illegal appointment.
Yesterday the SABC reported a loss of R411m after another similar loss a year ago.
This takes the loss to almost R1 billion in a period of two years.
But the sudden increase in Motsoeneng’s salary makes him the highest paid executive at the SABC.
DA MP Phumzile van Damme said this increase was a slap in the face of South Africans, Parliament and the courts.
The SABC will next week face tough questions in Parliament over its decision to reappoint Motsoeneng.
Radebe said the SABC must stop disrespecting the decisions of the courts.
“Attempts to subvert the Supreme Court of Appeal’s ruling through legally suspect interpretations border on violating the constitutional principle of legality and challenge the constitutionally assigned judicial authority of our courts,” he said.
He said the decision to reappoint Motsoeneng was illegal and not in line with the constitutional prescripts.
Van Damme said the SABC had done an injustice by paying Motsoeneng the amount it did over the past financial year as chief operating officer.
The African Christian Democratic Party said it was deeply concerned about the R411m loss at the SABC.
This is the second loss in two years, after a R400m loss last year.
ACDP MP Steve Swart said they supported the inquiry into the SABC board.
The SABC must explain how it incurred the losses, he said.
The auditor-general (Kimi Makwetu) was also not happy with the irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure, said Swart. A decision was needed to fix the SABC. The ANC in Parliament took a tough stance against the SABC this week, calling for the board to immediately fire Motsoeneng.
But the board has remained silent as Motsoeneng was yesterday present when the SABC presented its financial results.
He refused to take the blame for the loss of R411m.
The cabinet has also demanded answers and wants Motsoeneng fired urgently.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago declined to comment yesterday about the cabinet’s decision for the SABC to dismiss Motsoeneng.