Make Motsoeneng diehards at SABC pay appeal bill – MPs

MEMBERS of Parliament blasted the SABC for its “reckless” decision to apply for leave to appeal against a Western Cape High Court ruling that Hlaudi Motsoeneng not be allowed to hold any position at the public broadcaster, suggesting that executives should personally foot the legal bill.

“It is time that… either Parliament takes a decision or we enact law…(that) when people take reckless decisions… those people should actually pay out of their own pockets,” ANC MP Jabu Mahlangu said as Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing the affairs of the broadcaster met for the first time since releasing its draft report in January.

“We cannot allow a situation where public funds are just used by people employed by the state recklessly.” Mahlangu inferred that since there was no SABC board in place, the decision to apply for leave to appeal could not have been approved.

Inkatha Freedom Party MP Narend Singh said a clear message should be sent to executives not to “treat this committee with contempt”, while the EFF’s Fana Mokoena said Communications Minister Faith Muthambi should be asked to explain the actions of the executives.

“What we should then do is recommend to the minister… to ask Mr (James) Aguma (acting chief executive) and in particular Mr (Kaizer) Kganyago (SABC spokesperson) that they should explain why, when there is an inquiry in process, they go and make such terrible decisions on behalf of the SABC? Are they doing it with her permission? If not, they must explain both to her (Muthambi) and to Parliament so we have an understanding of what we are dealing with,” Mokoena suggested.

ANC MP Patrick Chauke stressed the importance of raising these concerns with the portfolio committee on communications, as some disturbing matters had come to the committee’s attention.

“There are issues of contracts happening fraudulently in SABC,” said Chauke, citing reports that various multimillion-rand contracts had been pushed through by executives during the festive season, before the committee’s draft findings.

Committee chairman Vincent Smith said he would write to his counterpart on the portfolio committee on communications to raise MPs’ concerns.

Meanwhile, MPs have agreed to postpone deliberations on responses received from interested parties to Parliament’s draft report. It emerged that only three submissions were received before the February 16 deadline.

The draft report was sent to, among others, the SABC and Muthambi to respond before MPs finalised its report with recommendations. The draft, released last month, crucifies Muthambi, suggesting she may have violated the law by overstepping her mandate and unduly interfering in the affairs of the SABC.

In the report, MPs also expressed concern about the minister’s role in the removal of board members “either through dismissal or resignation”, adding that she may have “covertly or overtly” pressured members of the board to appoint Motsoeneng – the SABC executive without a matric certificate whom several courts and the former public protector have found unfit to hold office at the broadcaster – as chief operating officer at a board meeting in July 2014.

MPs contend the former SABC board failed to act to prevent irregular expenditure, which according to the report accumulated to R5.1 billion over the past few years. The bleeding of money was continuing, with the parliamentary committee noting a “looming financial crisis” at the SABC. – ANA