SABC’s Hlaudi ‘happy’ with massive R411m loss
SABC is not a profit company ... ... For me, I am very happy
SABC executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng is “happy” that the state broadcaster lost R411-million in the last financial year.
Speaking during the TruFM talent search event in East London yesterday, Motsoeneng said losing millions was not a loss because the institution was not for profit-making.
Acting SABC chief executive James Guma, presenting the broadcaster’s annual financial performance last week, said the broadcaster recorded a loss of R411-million, up from the R395-million loss the previous financial year.
“SABC is not a profit company,” Motsoeneng said.
“Ours is to sustain business, pay our workers, pay service providers and if we see you are a black person, you don’t have money to start your business, we give you money.
“Today, they are saying at the SABC we got a loss for R411- million.
“For me, I am very happy. For me, that is not a loss, we’ve invested in black people.”
The beleaguered SABC boss also, controversially, said he did not recruit employees according to human resource policies.
“They complain about gender equity and transformation,” he said.
“What I do at SABC ... I just go and appoint people, especially if we deal with transformation and equity.
“HR [human resources] people there say to me, ‘follow process, advertise because it is discrimination’.
“Okay, advertise the post, but what I know is that I am going to appoint women. You can do your process, but I will appoint who I want to appoint,” he said, in an audio clip obtained by Times Media.
Motsoeneng said the broadcaster did business with many big companies, many of which were based outside the country.
He said these companies would have to make a contribution to the #FeesMustFall campaign.
“You [business] need to contribute 1% before we can do business with you, for students,” he said.
On state capture, Motsoeneng said many companies had been capturing the government for a long time.
“Big companies didn’t want small emerging companies to grow, immediately when you occupy that space, there’s a problem,” he said.
Motsoeneng said they wanted to have production houses across the country so that young, up-and-coming artists could have a platform.
He said they were tired of programmes like Dr Phil on SABC3.
“We want to see young people as actors,” he said.
“Each province should have a production house and people who can act in their own language.”
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said Motsoeneng would comment at a later stage.