Seventh media agency chief exec axed in three years

The chief executive of the embattled Media Diversity and Development Agency (MDDA)‚ Donald Liphoko‚ has been axed after allegations of misconduct were levelled against him by the board.

But serious allegations of misconduct have‚ in turn‚ been levelled at the board. Now there’s talk of an inquiry to try to resolve longstanding problems plaguing the agency.

Liphoko confirmed on Friday that his secondment to the agency had been rescinded and that he was still “trying to process this”.

In May‚ Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo sent him to the agency and his axing makes him seventh acting chief executive to be fired in three years.

The reasons for the decision to dismiss Liphoko are not yet clear.

In August problems at the agency came to a head when Liphoko accused the board of “institutionalising a culture of intimidation” during a briefing of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communication.

The committee media reports reveal multiple letters of complaint from MDDA staffers over a period of several months.

"What I see is the three members instilling a culture of intimidation‚ giving all interference in the operations of the agency‚” Liphoko told the committee.

“They target non-co-operating employees‚ they arbitrarily change their responsibilities‚ assassinates their characters."

He also spoke of how the chairperson‚ Phelisa Nkomo‚ had had him locked out of the agency’s offices.

MPs were shocked and mooted a call for an inquiry after the annual reports revealed the agency‚ with a R60-million a year budget‚ was in deficit of R12-million and auditors had flagged irregular expenditure of R6-million.

DA MP Veronica van Dyk said in a statement on Friday that it had become evident that the agency was in a “total state of dysfunction”.

“There are clearly deep-rooted problems at the MDDA. And the bickering between Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo and her deputy‚ Thandi Mahambehlala‚ has clearly resulted to this matter deteriorating even further‚” Van Dyk said.

“It is therefore of absolute importance that the Parliament performs its oversight and investigate the operational problems at the MDDA.”