Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng speaks during a media conference on October 06, 2016 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Sacked former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng will be challenging his dismissal from the public broadcaster through a legal recourse his lawyer refuses to divulge.
Speaking to The Citizen this afternoon, a jovial Motsoeneng first took issue with how the media reports on him before discussing the substantive issues of his dismissal from the SABC.
“You journalists are a problem, you like writing a headline that when you read has nothing to do with the rest of the story,” he said while laughing.
Responding to the question of whether he would be challenging his dismissal through the courts, Motsoeneng was clear on his next strategy – starving the media of the details to avoid tampering with a matter that is, according to him, sub judice, despite the fact that South Africa has no juries.
READ MORE: SABC paid Hlaudi R1.7m while he was on suspension
“Eh mtshana speak to Zola [Majavu, his legal representative] on the SABC issues. I will not comment,” he said.
Asked if it was true that he earned R1.7 million between January and now, he answered in his trademark off-the-cuff style: “I was not listening to Ayanda [Dlodlo, the communications minister]. I don’t know what she said. Again I am not able to comment. Sorry, I can’t comment. Ask Zola.”
Zola Majavu confirmed that indeed Motsoeneng would be challenging his dismissal and emphasised he was not at liberty to disclose whether this would be through the CCMA or the Labour Court, or when it would happen.
Majavu said the debate around Motsoeneng being remunerated R1.7 million was moot.
“If The Citizen suspends you with full pay, you are entitled to your salary. I can’t comment on the figure but I am saying he was duly entitled to it. There is nothing untoward about the payment,” he said.
On his future, Motsoeneng sounded positive, telling The Citizen he was busier now than he was when he was the COO and subsequently group executive of corporate affairs.
“I am addressing communities. I talk to people. Every week, I am invited to address people. This Friday I am addressing Cosas in the Free State and on Sunday I am addressing Mboro’s church,” he said.
He was referring to “miracle” performer and controversial pastor Paseka Motsoeneng of Incredible Happenings Church in Katlehong. Motsoeneng, relationship to Hlaudi unclear, previously prayed for the former “people’s COO” during the time that the parliamentary ad hoc committee was probing the collapse of corporate governance at the public broadcaster.
Pastor Motsoeneng has gone on record to say he went to heaven, where he supposedly successfully managed to take a selfie with Jesus. In another feat, he claimed to have brought a deceased elderly churchgoer back to life.
Majavu said Hlaudi was free to do whatever he pleased with his private life.
“I am not his spokesperson. But remember, if you are fired – I have never been fired myself – I can imagine you will continue with your life,” he said.
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