SABC to sneak Hlaudi in?
OPPOSITION parties have accused the SABC board of undermining the courts by trying to get Hlaudi Motsoeneng in through the back door.
It was reported yesterday that the board was trying to re-appoint Motsoeneng as acting chief operations officer (COO) despite a court ruling this week barring him from the position.
The Supreme Court of Appeal ruled that Motsoeneng’s appointment was irrational and should be set aside.
But for a week the SABC has refused to comment on its next course of action.
The stalemate continued yesterday with indications that the board wanted to re-appoint Motsoeneng to his old job, raising an outcry from opposition parties.
DA federal executive chairman James Selfe, whose party brought an application for the removal of Motsoeneng, said they would go back to court should the board re-appoint Motsoeneng illegally.
Any action taken to get Motsoeneng back at the SABC was wrong and illegal, he said, adding that the board was bordering on undermining the court’s decision.
Steve Swart of the African Christian Democratic Party also said the board’s attempt to get Motsoeneng re-appointed as COO or any position was undermining the court.
“This would be tantamount to disobeying a Western Cape High Court ruling which set aside his appointment as invalid,” said Swart.
Chairman of the portfolio committee on communications Humprey Maxegwana, an ANC MP, said they would wait for the board to appear before the committee next month before taking a decision.
He declined to comment on the action the committee could take, should the board reappoint Motsoeneng.
“We are only calling the board during next term, in October. We will get a proper briefing when the board comes in October,” he said.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago could not be reached for comment
but Motsoeneng’s lawyer Zola Majavu said his client was stressed and wanted clarity on his future at the SABC.
He had written to the SABC twice this week to determine what position would be given to Motsoeneng, but the public broadcaster had not responded.
It was not for him or his client to decide where Motsoeneng should be placed at the SABC but for the board.
Motsoeneng was prepared to be deployed in any position at the SABC.
He has been fighting to keep his job for the past two years after he was appointed in 2014.
He has been in and out of court several times.
He was also the subject of serious findings by public protector Thuli Madonsela, of purging staff members at the SABC and inflating his salary from R1.5 million to R2.4 million in a single year.
The tabling of the financials of the SABC next week will show whether Motsoeneng has again increased his salary.
Last year MPs were shocked to discover that he had increased his salary from more than R2.4 million to R3.7 million.