Sowetan

Motsoeneng wants to be SA’s president

Tells church the Nkandla furore was ‘bag of s***’

- By Loyiso Sidimba

Axed SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng has described the furore around the R265-million upgrades to President Jacob Zuma’s Nkandla homestead as a “bag of s***” and media propaganda.

Motsoeneng attended selfstyled prophet Paseka “Mboro” Motsoeneng’s Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong on the East Rand yesterday.

He told congregant­s Zuma had not asked for the upgrades and the controvers­y around them was just “kgetsi ya mas*pa” (a bag of s*** in Sotho).

“President Zuma represents you and me, people coming from poverty,” Motsoeneng said.

Despite asking church members to pray for him to be the country’s president, Motsoeneng said there were too many politician­s in South Africa.

“Why do we have so many political parties? What do you get from these political parties?” he asked.

He said that there should be only five political parties represente­d in parliament. “You pay them but you’re unemployed,” he told the congregati­on.

Motsoeneng was fired as SABC chief operations officer earlier this month following a disciplina­ry hearing.

His axing was a test, according to Motsoeneng.

“God is testing me [to see] if I can withstand troubles. To be a leader you must be tested. I’m enjoying the test.

“There is only one Hlaudi in South Africa. People are saying this is the end of Hlaudi. This is the beginning of a better journey for Hlaudi and the people of South Africa,” he said.

He also announced that although he wanted to be president, he wanted a female president to replace Zuma in 2019.

“You should pray for me so that I become the president of South Africa,” he said.

He also pleaded with church members to pray for public protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane following her report ordering Absa to pay more than R1.1-billion for the lifeboat Bankorp received from the Reserve Bank

‘ ‘ Pray for me so I become the president of South Africa

as part of a bailout.

Motsoeneng said Mkhwebane was under attack like many others who wanted to change the country.

“All people changing South Africa are under attack. I’m one of them ,” he claimed.

He said Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane was also under attack for the recently released mining charter.

Motsoeneng said Zwane had touched the nerves of certain people, hence the attacks.

He again justified his 90% local content quota on SABC platforms and ban on showing service delivery protests on the public broadcaste­r’s television news, saying other media companies should do the same.

“We need to stop media. They only show negativity, crime and corruption as if all South Africans are corrupt,” Motsoeneng said.

Mboro said he had a duty to pray for Motsoeneng but warned him to remember his church when his situation improved.

 ?? VELI NHLAPO ?? Singer Peter Mokoena, Pastor Paseka Motsoeneng and former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong, East Rand.
VELI NHLAPO Singer Peter Mokoena, Pastor Paseka Motsoeneng and former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong, East Rand.

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