SABC board inquiry will consider request to call Motsoeneng to testify

19 January 2017 - 11:24 By Neo Goba
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GREAT PRETENDER: Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
GREAT PRETENDER: Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
Image: GALLO IMAGES

An request to call former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng to testify in front of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on the SABC board inquiry will top the agenda of Thursday’s meeting.

The main gist of the meeting will be to deliberate over a working document compiled by the committee‚ which was leaked on Tuesday night - to the “dismay” of its chairperson‚ Vincent Smith.

A request was made last Friday‚ at the inquiry’s last day of hearing testimony‚ by United Democratic Movement (UDM) chief whip Nqabayomzi Kwankwa to call Motsoeneng.

Smith told TMG Digital on Thursday morning that “you would recall that that issue (asking Motsoeneng to testify) was discussed and a position taken by the committee”‚ which was to not call any further witnesses.

“And then‚ on Friday‚ Kwankwa from the UDM then raised it again saying we should give him an opportunity to reintroduce the subject which we granted‚” Smith added.

  • MPs convene to deliberate over leaked working document on SABC inquiryDeliberations on the leaked working document of Parliament’s ad hoc committee on the SABC board inquiry start on Thursday. 

“The committee will consider it and then take a position from there whether to stand on what the decision was last week Thursday."

Kwankwa had urged the committee to reconsider its position on inviting Motsoeneng‚ saying: “I think it is important for us to place it on record that the UDM feels that it is in the interest of fairness and natural justice that we should give Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng an opportunity to respond to everything that has been said about him in this committee.”

The working document recommended tough action against those involved in causing the crises at the public broadcaster.

If its recommendations make it through to the final version of the report‚ Motsoeneng would almost certainly be among the employees facing action.

In the "leaked" document‚ the committee said action should be taken against employees who “incurred or permitted” irregular‚ fruitless and wasteful expenditure – which totalled more than R5.1-billion between 2014 and 2016.

The committee also said that the SABC board must institute a forensic audit into the agreement that resulted in the transfer of part of the SABC’s archives to MultiChoice.

Motsoeneng is said to have championed the deal‚ which has been mired in controversy. Questions have been raised about whether the archives have been used for commercial gain by a private entity.

– TMG Digital

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