The SABC's chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says it is only big, white-controlled production companies that are complaining about programme commissioning changes at the SABC, that they use black faces to get work, and that the SABC isn't going to allow it.
The controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is currently mired in a protracted court case following the Public
Protector's report from February 2014 ordering him to be suspended and finding
that he "never should have been appointed at the SABC", as well as the Western
Cape High Court which ruled twice that the SABC suspend him and start a
disciplinary hearing immediately. He is appealing the decision.
A finger-waving Hlaudi Motsoeneng again took to the
stage at The New Age newspaper's
latest breakfast briefing in Sandton on Monday morning where he boasted about the public
broadcaster's increase in spending on programming and slammed South African
production companies who are complaining when he was asked about local content.
"At SABC we have put out RFP [request for
proposals] book, which is more than R600 million, moving from R121 million in
the first time in the history of the organisation. That money is to make sure
we produce local content, especially in different provinces," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
"I know there is an issue now about that
process where people are unhappy. Some of people, especially from provinces.
And reason being because you don't have big production houses in those other
different provinces," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
'Controlled by white
people'
"What we have been doing at the SABC is,
those big production houses they should make sure that they partner with
emerging small production houses from different provinces. So that we can give
them business," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
"If they're not going to partner with those
provinces we are not going to be able to do business with them."
"The fact of the matter: This industry called
production houses, they have been controlled by white people most of the time.
It's those people who are making noise, because now we are making sure that the
cake is shared by everyone," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
"People making noise are those production houses
which are big. And when they are saying they are partnering, you only have
people – they are not shareholders – they use their faces. Which we are not
going to allow at the SABC – those faces, as black people – using them, not
even paying them well," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
'When they march to
SABC they're 50'
Hlaudi Motsoeneng also took a swipe at
non-profit, civil society organisations like the SOS Coalition, which attended
the breakfast briefing, and the Right2Know Campaign (R2K) which in the past
organised marched and picketed the SABC.
"We are very aware of these matters, who are
these people who are making this big noise, saying they represent the public.
Actually when they march to SABC they're 50. Only 50 people, they're not even
more than 100," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
"Within the organisation we as SABC we want
black and white and Indians – the rainbow nation of Nelson Mandela – to produce
the content for the SABC, equally so."
"But they should understand that we must
prioritise people with disability, we must prioritise those people who are
emerging now; now is their time," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
