Protesters back Hlaudi outside Cape court
EMBATTLED South African Broadcasting Corporation corporate affairs executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng will not go without a fight.
That is if the crowd that gathered outside the high court in Cape Town yesterday have their way.
They sang: “Let Hlaudi lead” and brandished banners that read: “Hlaudi is simply the best – hands off Hlaudi.”
The DA is asking the court to have Motsoeneng removed from the public broadcaster‚ arguing that he is an “unethical‚ manipulative fraudster who has destroyed any semblance of good corporate governance at the SABC”.
But the supporters outside court were singing a different song.
Equally controversial Cape Town councillor and Ses’Khona leader Andile Lili‚ infamous for throwing poo in public spaces, accused the DA of waging a racist attack on Motsoeneng.
“We are not interested in his qualifications – we are interested in the transformation of public institutions,” Lili said.
“The questions about the SABC board are immaterial. There have been several boards dating back to apartheid. All of them did nothing to transform the SABC.”
DA leader Mmusi Maimane was not spared by Lili, being labelled “the toy boy of the white people”.
Setshwana Chabeli, who travelled from Bloemfontein to protest, said she did not care about Motsoeneng’s lack of a matric qualification.
“Who says Hlaudi is not qualified to do that job?” Chabeli asked.
She said matric had not been a requirement when Hlaudi applied for a job at the SABC.
“If that was the case‚ [the DA] must show us the job advert.”
The stance of Motsoeneng’s supporters resembles his submissions to the court.
In papers‚ Motsoeneng said his employment had been beneficial and the broadcaster had registered a profit during his stewardship.
The matter continues. – TMG Digital