Hlaudi Motsoeneng was born to lead and will stand firm in the face of a court judgment that demands he be suspended and face an inquiry into a plethora of misdeeds. Where mere mortals would be shaken by a Supreme Court of Appeal judgment, the irrepressible Motsoeneng stresses his leadership abilities instead - traits that were apparently evident from his primary school years in the Free State where he advised his teachers in matters of great importance.In his corner office on the 27th floor of the SABC's Radio Park building in Auckland Park, Motsoeneng sprawls on a luxurious burgundy leather couch and holds forth on how little impact the public protector's court victory would have on his life."Some leaders are born. Like myself, I am a born leader, so you can't take that away from me. I have been leading from a young age. From Standard 3 I was a leader, even leading my own teachers. I was leading them in other matters that I can't reveal here. Some of them are still alive even now and I'm leading them."story_article_left1On Thursday, appeal court judges in Bloemfontein dismissed the application by Motsoeneng, his employer the SABC, and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi - and overturned the findings by Judge Ashton Schippers of the High Court in Cape Town that recommendations by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela are not binding and enforceable.The Cape ruling had been gleefully seized upon by Madonsela's detractors as providing proof that her reports had no legal standing and could therefore be ignored.The DA had approached the high court to compel the SABC to implement Madonsela's 2014 recommendations, which werescathing of Motsoeneng's rise to power at the broadcaster.Instead of following Madonsela's recommendations, the SABC instituted its own investigation, which exonerated Motsoeneng. The broadcaster's board then made a recommendation that Muthambi appoint him permanent chief operating officer, which she promptly did.The DA sought to nullify the appointment and to have Motsoeneng suspended and hauled before a hearing.The SABC, in a statement on Friday, said it would approach the Constitutional Court on an urgent basis.On Friday, a jaunty Motsoeneng asserted that the combination of his own brand of natural leadership, his 20-year experience at the SABC, and the knowledge he had acquired doing various short courses, made him more than capable to lead.Among the qualifications he proudly hauled out during the interview: national certificates in analysis of contemporary social issues with the University of the Witwatersrand; an SABC leadership development programme done with the Gordon Institute of Business Science; a national certificate in generic management; and an NQF Level 5 course done through Prodigy."So matric is not even an issue because I have more qualifications even than matric."Remember also there is prior learning which is even recognised by government," he said.story_article_right2Motsoeneng said he had turned the SABC around from being broke and placed under austerity in 2009, to an organisation that turned over R1-billion and was thriving with minimal state grants.However, his figures have been the subject of contention and debate. Not everyone agrees with his accounting."I have expertise. I have skill. I have been performing well ... Actually, I saved this organisation from collapsing. I saved people who were supposed to be retrenched, I saved production houses and I have generated revenue for this business."He reiterated his stance that he would never leave the SABC. "There is no way I would walk away. I have a duty to finish what I have started: to fix the SABC, and I think I'm halfway. I still need to do more. I don't dream of leaving the SABC."Although he was still to finalise his submission to the Constitutional Court, it would revolve around clearing up whether the investigation done by Mchunu Attorneys, which cleared him, constituted a parallel investigation of Madonsela's findings.He did not fear a hearing by his employer, but was more concerned about the findings themselves. "This thing is not about Thuli Madonsela as an individual. We all must respect her office, but the only issue there is I differ with her findings."sub_head_start The public protector's main and damning findings against Hlaudi Motsoeneng sub_head_end• His appointment as acting COO was irregular;• The former chairman of the SABC board, Dr Ben Ngubane, had acted irregularly when he ordered that the qualification requirements for the appointment to the position of COO be altered to suit Motsoeneng's circumstances;story_article_right3• His salary progression from R1.5-million to R2.4-million in one fiscal year was irregular;• He had abused his power and position to unduly benefit himself;• He had fraudulently misrepresented himself - when completing his job application form in 1995 and in 2003 when applying for the post of executive producer: current affairs - that he had matriculated;• He had been appointed to several posts at the SABC despite not having the appropriate qualifications for those positions;• He was responsible, as part of SABC management, for the irregular appointment of the state broadcaster's chief financial officer;• He was involved in the irregular termination of the employment of several senior staff members resulting in a substantial loss to the SABC; and• He had unilaterally and irregularly increased the salaries of various staff members, which resulted in a salary bill escalation of R29-million.• The report was released on February 17 last year.skitis@sundaytimes.co.za..