Disciplinary process against Hlaudi starts at SABC this week

According to a report in City Press on Sunday former chief operating officer of the public broadcaster Hlaudi Motsoeneng will finally be subjected to a disciplinary process at the SABC, starting on Wednesday.

Interim board members listed a slew of shocking financial problems and irregularities at the broadcaster, among them the fact that the SABC has “164 people working in its TV licence department” despite the fact that it also outsources this function to a company that has allegedly not even been performing it satisfactorily.

The company, Lorna Vision, reportedly failed to reach its R1 billion target by more than 50%, only collecting R449 million for the year. The board says it would have been much more efficient to use the in-house capacity to collect licence fees, and has taken a decision to now do so.

A number of such contracts will be terminated and referred for forensic investigation by the interim board.

The interim board is also reviewing the editorial policies put in place by Motsoeneng, and which have been highly criticised from both SABC staff and external commentators.

Interim board chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama was quoted as saying that there had been a “collapse in corporate governance at the SABC”.

The SABC has decided not to challenge the public protector’s 2014 report and its recommendations regarding the SABC. It is also withdrawing other court matters that offer no value.

City Press further reported: “A forensic audit investigation on fruitless and wasteful expenditure, incurred between April 2012 and March this year, has been commissioned by the board, and the [Special Investigating Unit] will be asked to investigate all appointments, promotions, salary increases and bonuses paid in contravention of SABC policy.”

In a presentation to parliament, the interim board estimated this week that Motsoeneng’s 90%-local directive had “cost SABC TV an unaudited figure of R183 million in advertising revenue, and a R29 million loss for radio”, excluding the “R79 million forked out to replace local content”.

The SABC has now returned to its editorial policies of 2004.

It has also requested another bailout from government.