SABC's dirty laundry aired in Parliament

08 December 2016 - 20:06 By Babalo Ndenze
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Communications Minister Faith Muthambi interfered with the SABC board and the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as COO not long after her appointment as minister‚ the inquiry into the public broadcaster heard on Thursday.

Communications Minister Faith Muthambi. File photo.
Communications Minister Faith Muthambi. File photo.
Image: Supplied.

Muthambi surprised some board members by rocking up unannounced at board meetings in the middle of the night.

Late night meetings and a high frequency of secret meetings were the order of the day‚ according to former board members and a former CEO who gave evidence to the inquiry.

Muthambi is said to have arrived at the SABC’s Auckland Park offices at 11pm one night while board members were discussing Motsoeneng’s appointment as COO - after the release of the Public Protector’s report on the SABC.

There were also instances where former board chairperson Ellen Tshabalala would chide former CEO Lulama Makhobo in full view of junior staff.

First up to give evidence was former board member Ronnie Lubisi‚ who also sat on the SABC's audit committee.

Lubisi said after the installation of a new board which was chaired by Tshabalala‚ a meeting was held on or around July in 2014 with Muthambi.

“Amongst the matters that the minister raised with members of the board was that the then acting chief operations officer Mr Hlaudi Motsoeneng had been acting for too long and she suggested that we need to appoint him permanently. At that stage we were dealing with the Public Protector’s report which had made some unfavourable findings against Motsoeneng‚” said Lubisi in his submission to the committee.

He said during the meeting Muthambi told them that the board had problems.

“Her perception was that board was dysfunctional. Former chairperson of board Ms Ellen Tshabalala and Mr Motsoeneng mentioned that the major problem of the board was specifically myself and Professor (Bonging) Khumalo‚ who were mentioned as some of people causing problems on the board‚” said Lubisi.

His former board colleague Vusumzi Mavuso told the inquiry of one meeting that took place from 6pm to 11pm where Muthambi just happened to be there.

“It was a coincidence that was just too good to be true‚” said Mavuso.

Mavuso‚ who resigned from the board during a communications portfolio committee meeting‚ said the extent to which meetings were arranged without their knowledge was a little too frequent.

Former CEO Lulama Makhobo said things had deteriorated to the point of them having “very unbecoming arguments in the board”.

“There indeed were a great deal of fights. And fights would spill over into media which was hugely embarrassing‚” said Makhobo.

She said there were board members who seemed to “surround Mr Motsoeneng very tightly”.

Makhobo said those seen as being outsiders were considered as “the Lulama board” which made her very uncomfortable. She also spoke about how she would be “undermined” by Motsoeneng which was “unbearable”.

The inquiry will continue for a third day on Friday when more board members are expected to give evidence.

- TMG Digital/Parliamentary Team

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