MultiChoice CEO tackles ‘Marawa sexual harassment claims’
The CEO says the broadcaster will never tolerate sexual harassment and intends to act decisively on anyone found guilty.
Multichoice CEO Calvo Mawela speaks to the media during a press briefing at Multichoice Headquarters in Randburg, Johannesburg on 31 December 2018. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia
MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela has dismissed allegations of sexual misconduct at the company’s subsidiary, Supersport, and said no reports of sexual harassment against senior managers had been brought to his attention.
On Thursday, he broke his silence to Sowetan on the issue at the relaunch of the MultiChoice Diski Challenge in Parktown.
He said the broadcaster would never tolerate sexual harassment and intended to act decisively on anyone found guilty of violating vulnerable women.
The sexual harassment allegations surfaced around two weeks ago after a fallout between SuperSport and their former presenter, Robert Marawa. Marawa tweeted that he was sacked in a peculiar fashion.
I received a text around 18H50 tonight informing me that I should not bother coming to Studio for Thursday Night Live with Marawa Show on @SuperSportTV… I would like to thank all those who have supported my journey as a Sportscaster & those I've worked with at Supersport! ✌🏼✌🏼
— robertmarawa (@robertmarawa) May 16, 2019
The presenter also subliminally tweeted to fans, shocked by his abrupt move, to “imagine paying for a service where people who are guilty of sexual harassment are employed and encouraged to work”.
Working and reflecting….Imagine paying for a service where people who r guilty of sexual harassment r employed and encouraged to work!! Lovely hey….
— robertmarawa (@robertmarawa) May 16, 2019
Although Mawela maintains that no one had come forward to lodge a complaint on sexual allegations, a former employee, Mmaphuti Mashamaite, claims to have laid an official complaint against her former boss at the company. The Sowetan reported she took to social media labelling her former boss a sexual predator.
“What did I just read? I was painted as a loose goose, wild child… just to cover for a sexual predator at work. I had three mental breakdowns soon after. I got less bookings. I couldn’t talk. I can’t talk still…” she tweeted.
(Compiled by Gopolang Chawane)
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