Hlaudi: I’ll be back
Motsoeneng claims SABC firing is the beginning of a new era for him
Sacked SABC boss seeks blessing, boasts of a ‘bright’ future that awaits him
Former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng has claimed that his axing from the public broadcaster is in fact a new beginning, hinting at a possible role in politics.
The ANC Youth League has previously sought to make him an ANC MP and national executive committee member.
Yesterday, Motsoeneng did not want to comment on his future but said wherever he would be, he will be “changing the lives of South Africans”.
Motsoeneng, who was fired by the interim SABC board recently after a disciplinary hearing, made his boast at a church service held to “pray” for him in Mpumalanga yesterday.
“The dismissal of Hlaudi is the beginning of Hlaudi. South Africans are still going to see me,” he said yesterday.
Speaking to Sowetan after a church service led by Bishop Dununu Msibi at his ministry in Ackerville, Emalahleni, Motsoeneng said his future was “bright”.
“I hold my future in my hands. The SABC is not the end of the world,” he said confidently, adding that the legal battle between himself and the SABC was far from over.
Addressing about 300 congregants, he said good things were coming to him.
“I was not produced by anyone but God. What is happening in my life is good. Everything happens for a reason.
“For me, the dismissal means a better journey and better future. When you have troubles, it is a test... The future of Hlaudi is bright,” he said to applause.
Motsoeneng, who presided over controversial policies at the SABC including the 90% local music quota, said the policy he implemented was not well understood. He said the rule was made to ensure that no local artist died a pauper.
He said money was leaving SA to pay artists abroad.
“With the policy, it meant we are able to see and hear more local content. When I went around speaking to artists, I realised that they were alive but they have nothing.
“I am unapologetic about it because I met my role models and did not like the manner in which they were living.”
Motsoeneng reportedly pocketed an R11-million bonus payment for orchestrating the controversial SABC archive sale deal with pay TV company MultiChoice. Asked how he was coping without a salary, he said money was not everything and he did not need it to survive.
Msibi said he had invited Motsoeneng to pray for him because the former SABC boss was a “true leader who was willing to die for the truth”.
“Hlaudi has been resolute in the face of adversity. We will continue to pray for him.”