Another senior SABC executive faces the chop – report

During the time when a parliamentary ad hoc committee was busy interrogating the chain of events that led to the collapse of corporate governance systems at the public broadcaster, the rot continued unabated.

MPs were told during a briefing by Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo and SABC senior managers that “a contract for the redesign of the SABC website to the tune of about R4.5 million was awarded to Infonomix late in December without being put out on tender”, according to Business Day.

The deal, as the publication states, violated both Treasury regulations and the corporation’s own supply chain management policies.

Dlodlo told the committee that an amount of R4.5 million, excluding VAT, was budgeted for the redesign of the broadcaster’s seven websites due to lack of skills and expertise at Auckland Park. She said the business responsible for implementing this aspect of the organisation only has five employees responsible for developing and maintaining 26 websites.

READ MORE: Hlaudi Motsoeneng fired from SABC after disciplinary hearing

Another contract worth R12 million was awarded to Imagine Communications for “an advertising management system”. The DA pointed out that this tender also did not follow procurement procedures and was found to be not fit for purpose.

The SABC is said to have lost R300 million in advertising revenue due to Imagine Communications’ business model being “unsuitable” for the SABC.

The opposition party’s spokesperson and MP, Phumzile van Damme, told the communications portfolio committee that acting CFO Audrey Raphela must be suspended pending an investigation into the awarding of tenders and pending a disciplinary inquiry due to the “allegations of serious tender flouting”.

In a written response, Dlodlo told parliament that Raphela, together with axed COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and suspended CFO James Aguma, was instrumental in signing tenders that some MPs have described as “dodgy”.

http://https://www.citizen.co.za/news/news-national/sabc-shuts-tna-business-breakfast-show/

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