Inquiry told of interference in SABC affairs

Minister turned up at board meetings and meddled in appointment of Motsoeneng

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Faith Muthambi interfered with the SABC board and in the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer not long after her appointment as minister‚ the inquiry into the public broadcaster heard yesterday.

Muthambi surprised some board members by turning up unannounced at board meetings in the middle of the night.

Late-night meetings and secret meetings were the order of the day‚ according to former board members and a former chief executive who gave evidence at the inquiry.

Muthambi is said to have arrived at the SABC’s Auckland Park offices at 11pm one night while board members were discussing Motsoeneng’s appointment as COO, after the release of the public protector’s report on the SABC.

There were also instances where former board chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala would chide former chief executive Lulama Makhobo in full view of junior staff.

First up to give evidence was former board member Ronnie Lubisi‚ who also sat on the SABC’s audit committee.

Lubisi said after the installation of a new board chaired by Tshabalala‚ a meeting was held with Muthambi around July 2014.

“Among the matters that the minister raised with members of the board was that the then acting chief operations officer Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng had been acting for too long and she suggested that we needed to appoint him permanently,” he said.

“At that stage, we were dealing with the public protector’s report which had made some unfavourable findings against Motsoeneng.”

During the meeting, Muthambi told them that the board had problems.

“Her perception was that the board was dysfunctional,” Lubisi said.

“[Tshabalala and Motsoeneng] mentioned that the major problem of the board was specifically myself and Professor [Bonging] Khumalo . . . ”

Lubisi’s former board colleague, Vusumzi Mavuso, told the inquiry of one meeting that took place from 6pm to 11pm and Muthambi “just happened” to be there.

“It was a coincidence that was just too good to be true‚” Mavuso said.

Makhobo said things had deteriorated to the point of them having “very unbecoming” and embarrassing arguments on the board.

She said there were board mem- bers who seemed to “surround Mr Motsoeneng very tightly”. Those seen as outsiders were considered “the Lulama board”.

More board members are expected to give evidence today.

Meanwhile, the DA has welcomed the unanimous decision by parliament’s ad hoc committee that SABC board chairman Mbulaheni Maguvhe should be issued with a legally binding summons to appear before the committee to account for the apparent collapse of good governance at the public broadcaster.

Maguvhe was scheduled to appear before the inquiry ad hoc committee yesterday afternoon‚ but was a noshow.

He gave no official notice to the committee explaining his absence.

DA spokeswoman on communications Phumzile van Damme said: “The DA reminds Maguvhe that in terms of Section 17 of the Privileges and Immunities Act‚ any person who has been duly summoned to a committee of parliament and without sufficient cause fails to attend‚ commits an offence and is liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 12 months or to both.

“[He] has tried everything to halt the proceedings of the committee.”

She said the work of the committee must be allowed to continue in the interest of restoring the integrity and stability of the national broadcaster.

It was a coincidence that was just too good to be true