SABC board members have written to chairman Mbulaheni Maghuve demanding that Hlaudi Motsoeneng and acting CEO James Aguma get the chop. The letters, obtained by the Sunday Times, ask Maghuve to convene an urgent board meeting on Tuesday to suspend Aguma for unlawfully appointing Motsoeneng as group executive of corporate affairs this week.They want the meeting held on the eve of a parliamentary communications committee meeting on Wednesday, when the board is expected to face a grilling.The letters were written by board members Krish Naidoo and Vusi Mavuso, both of whom declined to comment to the Sunday Times. They are seen as the only critics of Aguma and Motsoeneng on the nine-person board. Naidoo is a legal adviser to the ANC with a long struggle history.story_article_left1Barely a fortnight after Motsoeneng lost his court bid to appeal against a ruling declaring his appointment as chief operations officer irrational and unlawful, he also appears to have lost the support of President Jacob Zuma.Zuma chaired a cabinet meeting on Wednesday at which Communications Minister Faith Muthambi - overseas at the time - was directed to take "urgent steps'' to deal with issues at the SABC. A cabinet statement afterwards said appointing Motsoeneng to another executive post showed disrespect for the rule of law."This is it. Even the president has washed his hands of him," said a source with close ties to senior ANC leadership."It's become too costly for Zuma to carry him," said another source. "You can't allow the broadcaster to free-fall for another two years before the elections. Hlaudi is a liability if you want to control the broadcaster. He just brings scandal.''On Tuesday, Motsoeneng replaced Bessie Tugwana as head of corporate affairs. She was given a new post of head of special projects in Aguma's office.The letters by Naidoo and Mavuso are a scathing indictment of the breakdown of governance and respect for the rule of law at the SABC.Naidoo says in his letter: "Our President and the ruling party hold the rule of law sacrosanct. The SABC executives are bound by the same rule.block_quotes_start People are battle-weary here. War-fatigued," said one. "They don't even know if the word of cabinet can be trusted block_quotes_end"Mr Aguma seems to be labouring under an incorrect understanding that he has the necessary authority to appoint Mr Motsoeneng as a group executive without reference to the board and without reference to the human resource and employment policy and procedures of the organisation."If Aguma failed to provide "a proper legal explanation", Tugwana and Motsoeneng's appointments should be "set aside as arbitrary and hence irrational and unlawful, and Mr Aguma [should] be suspended pending the institution of disciplinary action against him for his arbitrary and reckless conduct".Mavuso's letter also asks the board to address allegations of a bonus paid to Motsoeneng, reported by the Sunday Times last week, for negotiating a contract with MultiChoice that critics say cost the SABC R2-billion.The move follows a week of high drama at the SABC.The Sunday Times can also reveal that on Monday four SABC executives and two senior managers were offered severance packages totalling tens of millions.story_article_right2They included group executive for radio Leslie Ntloko, group executive for risk and governance Itani Tseisi, group executive for TV Verona Duwarkah and executive head of procurement Madoda Shushu.Despite effectively being demoted it is understood Motsoeneng will keep his salary, hiked from R3.8-million to R4.2-million, and his sumptuous office.SABC staff described the mood at the broadcaster this week as veering between helplessness and cautious optimism."People are battle-weary here. War-fatigued," said one. "They don't even know if the word of cabinet can be trusted. Even though the judiciary, the legislature and the executive have spoken, the problem is that there's a shadow cabinet."Another said "there's lot of incredulous laughter that Hlaudi got reappointed, but also a sense of helplessness. Nobody trusts parliament. But there's a shallow hope that the tide is turning."Tugwana seems shell- shocked. "She sits in meetings and just stares," said a colleague. She could not be reached for comment.Motsoeneng declined to comment; Aguma and Maghuve did not respond to messages.sub_head_start SABC board in for the high jump sub_head_endThe SABC board faces a grillingwhen it appears before parliament's communications portfolio committee on Wednesday.Chairman Humphrey Maxegwana told the Sunday Times that the committee was considering a parliamentary inquiry into the broadcaster, as provided for in the broadcasting legislation.He said the committee had summoned the board to the meeting to explain the processes that had been followed to reappoint Hlaudi Motsoeneng."The board must tell us what happened. If they've employed [Motsoeneng] as they say on television, what processes did they follow? If processes were not followed properly, surely the committee will have a recommendation," Maxegwana said."After the meeting [we] will be very clear on the course of action we will take."Maxegwana said the SABC board had also not explained to the committee how the broadcaster had made a R411-million loss for the year ended March 31, opting instead to host a press conference."The week after next week, we will meet them on annual reports. We won't be generous after we meet them," he said.- Babablo Ndenze..