MPs reject bid to axe SABC board over non-compliance with rulings

THE SABC board appears to have escaped another bid to have it axed after MPs refused calls by civil society to remove it.

The board has been under pressure for the last few weeks, but the latest twist on millions paid to Hlaudi Motsoeneng added insult to injury.

The board have in the past few days refused calls to fire Motsoeneng after the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeal.

Yesterday, the Save Our SABC Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa called on the portfolio committee on communications to axe the board after it emerged that Motsoeneng had been paid a bonus of R11.4 million.

This was in relation to the sale of SABC archives to Multichoice three years ago.

Motsoeneng is due to get R33m in bonuses in the next three years.

Sekoetlane Phamodi, the co-ordinator for the Save Our SABC Coalition, said yesterday they wanted the committee to act decisively against the SABC board.

He said Parliament needed to get rid of the board because it had neglected its fiduciary duties for a long time.

He said Motsoeneng would not go because of political protection. He said the R11.4m cash bonanza to Motsoeneng and another R33m in the pipeline were because of an incompetent board.

“What has been happening is destabilisation of the SABC to ensure the SABC is pliant to the president,” Phamodi said.

But chairman of the committee, Humphrey Maxegwana, said no decision would be taken to remove the board now. “We don’t share the view that the board must be dissolved. We just have to wait and hear from them,” he said.

He added that their meeting would now happen in October, but there were no issues at this stage that warranted the dissolution of the board.

Last week, the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed with costs Motsoeneng’s application for leave to appeal a ruling by the High Court in Cape Town setting aside his permanent appointment as SABC COO.

In May, the High Court in Cape Town also dismissed with costs Motsoeneng and the SABC’s application for leave to appeal against the ruling.

The SABC has had several boards in the past few years, with many ending up being dissolved because of infighting. – ANA