'We can't stand back and watch the SABC fall to pieces' - DA leader
DA leader, Mmusi Maimane, says the SABC has been captured through what he says is the deployment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, to the public broadcaster.
He addressed a crowd that marched to the broadcaster's Auckland Park studios yesterday, to ask the SABC board to reverse the decision to appoint Motsoeneng as the Executive Manager for Public Affairs.
In their memorandum to the board, the DA has listed a number of reasons why it believes the former COO is not fit to hold any senior executive position.
LISTEN BELOW: This is what Maimane had to say when a representative of the board arrived to accept the document.
Members of COPE also marched to the public broadcaster led by their president, Mosioua Lekota.
READ ALSO: DA, COPE call on SABC to fire Motsoeneng
"The men and women who are serving on the board of the SABC cannot continue to undermine the law of our country and think that they will survive," he said.
READ BELOW: The memorandum which the DA took to the SABC.
TO THE CHAIPERSON OF THE BOARD OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION (“SABC”)
03 OCTOBER 2016
Regarding the recent appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as Group Executive for Corporate Affairs at the SABC, noting that:
1. There exists a court judgment by the Western Cape High Court that upheld a Public Protector report and found Hlaudi Motsoeneng dishonest, unfit for purpose and unlawfully appointed to the position of SABC COO.
2. The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dismissed Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s application for leave to appeal the above court judgment.
3. The attempt by Hlaudi Motsoeneng to establish censorship at the SABC, including:
a. The decision to stop “The Editors” - a very popular programme on SAFM on Sunday mornings where the political events of the week are critically analysed, debated and discussed by newspaper journalists and editors.
b. The attempted banning of call-ins;
c. The cancelation of Vuyo Mvoko’s talk show;
d. Banning of footage of violent protests;
e. Censorship of DA adverts;
f. The canning of “Komentaar” on RSG;
g. A ban on negative stories about President Zuma;
h. The suspension of several journalists for covering a protest by the Right2Know campaign outside the SABC office; and
i. The offering of a R100 000 reward by the SABC to information on journalists who have leaked information.
4. The complete financial meltdown under Hlaudi Motsoeneng, as SABC suffered a net loss of R805 million over the past two years.
5. Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s bloated salary was increased by almost half a million from R 3 784 000 to R 4 197 000 during the 2015/16 financial year, making him the highest paid executive at the SABC.
It is quite clear that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is unfit to be in a senior executive position at the SABC, and thus cannot continue in breach of a High Court order.
In light of this, we call on SABC Board Chairperson, Professor Mbulaheni Maghuve, to immediately convene a meeting of the Board to terminate the employment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as Group Executive of Corporate Affairs, and subsequently dissolve the SABC Board for rehiring of Mr. Motsoeneng in his new role, and for being complicit in Mr Motsoeneng’s shady behaviour at the SABC.