Hlaudi fails to stop action

SABC strongman Hlaudi Motsoeneng has failed in his bid to try to stop the state broadcaster from taking disciplinary action against him.

This follows the Labour Court yesterday dismissing his bid to interdict the SABC and stop it from taking action against him.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the disciplinary action would continue and would be conducted by a law firm.

Motsoeneng declined to comment yesterday. “I would rather that my lawyer comment on the matter,” he said.

Motsoeneng is expected to go through the disciplinary process after he on April 19 accused interim board member Krish Naidoo of selling out after Parliament’s ad hoc committee recommended his dismissal.

He accused Naidoo of lying under oath to retain his position and that this action and the ad hoc committee had a political motive against him.

Motsoeneng was scheduled to appear before the disciplinary committee last night‚ but head of the committee advocate Nazeer Cassim said: “They want to submit written representations so that their deadline is next week Friday at 2pm.”

Motsoeneng’s team argued that the case should be heard in the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration as his comments were public exposure. This is an argument usually used by people who have been unfairly dismissed for exposing corruption.

It was used by the so-called SABC8 last year when they were fired after voicing concerns about the banning of protest visuals. The Labour Court reinstated them.

In December, the Western Cape High Court ruled that Motsoeneng’s appointment as chief operating officer was unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court also found the previous SABC board failed to implement the findings of the public protector’s report which found that Motsoeneng had lied about his matric qualification and had unlawfully increased his salary.