Hlaudi back? Not on my watch
Public protector will sue the minister of communications and the SABC board if Motsoeneng is appointed as acting chief operating officer after courts ruled he is unfit for the post in a permanent capacity, Thuli Madonsela says.
Her finding as the public protector was that Motsoeneng is a dishonest person.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela yesterday threatened Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, and the board of the SABC with further legal action should disgraced former chief operating officer (COO) of the broadcaster Hlaudi Motsoeneng be reappointed in that position.
“The reason the court found Motsoeneng unfit to be COO, was, among others, the finding as the public protector that he is a dishonest person,” Madonsela said.
“I have indicated to the minister in writing that should she or the board proceed with the matter, we will take this matter to court and we will give instruction to our lawyer to sue both the minister and the board and we will ask for costs from them as individuals, because this is not just disrespectful to the public protector, it is disrespectful to the courts in this country,” Madonsela said.
“I have indicated to the minister that it would be improper to appoint Mr Motsoeneng ... If the court’s view is that he is unfit to be a permanent COO, it doesn’t make sense to assume that the court is saying he is fit to be an acting COO.”
Madonsela also dared the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) to keep on “playing their childish game” of accusing her of being a CIA spy after October 15, when her term in office comes to an end.
“Regarding the CIA, I just believe that particular issue is grown-ups behaving like children and playing a game and I have decided I really don’t want to engage in that game. I really don’t have the time,” she said.
Madonsela added that she personally considers this a joke. “But after finishing office on October 15, I might have time and might decide to be childish and play that game,” she said with a mysterious smile.
The ANCYL said Madonsela was a CIA spy out to please her handlers and has accused Treasury of pushing the same agenda with Madonsela through the state capture probe.
ANCYL president Collen Maine earlier said Madonsela was using state resources and institutions to please her CIA handlers by probing the Gupta family.
The public protector said the state capture investigation is ongoing and that there is still a lot of work to be done.
“We may have to review further witnesses because sometimes we identify witnesses and those witnesses require more witnesses,” she said.
“We requested additional resources because it was a big case and our hands were already full. I am required by law to conduct this investigation. The principle of a good investigation is to look for the truth,” Madonsela added.
She also said she was not affiliated to the DA. “The governing party of this country is the ANC and the governing party in the Western Cape is the DA. Any national investigation will only involve the ANC.
“People who are persistently paddling that line should just look at us and say why would we investigate the DA, for being the opposition in parliament? That just doesn’t make sense.”
According to Madonsela, free higher education would be possible if South Africa could be rid of all corruption and maladministration, “but it will not happen at the snap of a finger”.
If the court’s view is that he is unfit to be a permanent COO, it doesn’t make sense to assume that the court is saying he is fit to be an acting COO. Thuli Madonsela