SABC interim board suspends acting CEO

26 May 2017 - 19:37 By Babalo Ndenze
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Acting CEO James Aguma. File photo.
Acting CEO James Aguma. File photo.
Image: Gallo Images / Beeld / Felix Dlangamandla

The SABC has suspended its acting chief executive‚ James Aguma.

Aguma's suspension by the SABC's interim board follows calls last week by Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) for his removal because of his role in the messy state of the public broadcaster.

A board member confirmed Aguma’s suspension. An ANC MP with intimate knowledge of the affairs of the SABC said they were told about Aguma's suspension last night.

  • Hlaudi fails in bid to stop his SABC disciplinary hearingHlaudi Motsoeneng's case in the Labour Court was dismissed on Wednesday afternoon with him being ordered to pay the costs. 

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said he was not in a position to discussion any internal matter involving an employee.

“We’re not saying yay or nay at the moment. We just want to say this is an employer and employee issue and we do not want to be engaging in it‚” said Kganyago.

Aguma’s supporting affidavit in group executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s disciplinary hearing is said to be the last straw that led to his suspension‚ which sources say had long been coming.

He said in his affidavit that he had given Motsoeneng permission to hold a press conference‚ during which he attacked attacking members of the interim board.

  • Now Hlaudi turns to Labour Court to stop hearingFormer SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng plans to approach the Labour Court to get his disciplinary hearing stopped. 

Aguma has not returned to work since earlier this month when he took sick leave and couldn’t make it to a Scopa meeting.

Scopa MPs accused Aguma of deliberately skipping the meeting to avoid having to explain the illegal appointment of a consulting firm which was meant to investigate an irregular expenditure of R5.1 billion.

MPs wanted him to account for the illegal contract‚ as well as the rot that set in at the SABC during his tenure as chief financial officer and more recently as acting chief executive.

Aguma will join Motsoeneng‚ who is also on suspension pending his disciplinary inquiry.

The two have been linked to the public broadcaster’s current financial woes.

Aguma told Parliament recently that the that the unilateral implementation of the local content policy cost the broadcaster R29 million on radio and R183 million on television.

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