This is not Generations, Shivambu tells SABC board

5 October 2016

Cape Town - EFF MP Floyd Shivambu has told the SABC board in Parliament that the time for games is over, and that acting titles for group executives, like former acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng, "must fall".

The SABC board appeared before the portfolio committee on communications on Wednesday to present on its progress in implementing the Public Protector’s report into governance issues at the broadcaster.

Board chairperson Professor Mbulaheni Maguvhe presented a short speech to the committee, which most MPs criticised it for its length, when it came time for questions. Maghuve told the committee that the board felt it unfair to preclude Motsoeneng from another position, while his disciplinary proceedings had not concluded, and earlier processes had found him not guilty.After being ordered by the Supreme Court of Appeal to follow through with Motsoeneng's removal as acting COO, Maghuve said that the law did not permit them to appoint him in a lesser position.SABC directors reviewed the options, he said, and renamed an existing position, GE for Stakeholders, to GE for Corporate Affairs, to suit his "competency" level.He also said there were no further implications of the SCA's ruling, nor Icasa's ruling that the broadcaster reverse a decision to no longer show footage of the destruction of property during violent protests.

'Clumsy board, lousy presentation'

ANC MPs Rembuluwani Tseli and Mziwamadoda Kalako led the charge, reminding the board about its duties to obey the Public Protector's remedial findings.

But it was Shivambu who had the most colourful things to say about the state of affairs at the SABC.

"We must not tiptoe around a clumsy board who came here with a lousy presentation. The time of games has come to an end," he said.

"This is not Generations; acting CEO, acting COO, acting this and that. All these actors must fall."

He jokingly said the committee was eager to see how things would "pan out" for Motsoeneng this time around, as he had previously claimed to be the "MacGyver" of the SABC. DA MP James Selfe asked the board how the report was ignored without the SABC launching a judicial review of it, which was the only grounds to do so. Selfe said that if Motsoeneng wanted to challenge the Public Protector report in court, he would have to pay for it himself, and the SABC could not foot the bill.IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe wanted to know how the board came to its decision to grant Motsoeneng a bonus earlier this month. Motsoeneng could be seen smiling as she asked this.Questions continued on Wednesday.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.