The SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng
who now calls himself "an ordinary employee" has seen his astronomical salary
balloon further to a massive R4.19 million, coming as the struggling
broadcaster posted yet another loss of R411 million in the same week as top
executives jetted off to the luxury Hilton Mauritius Resort and Spa.
The controversial SABC executive who the
Public Protector found in her February 2014 report lied said he "should never
have been appointed at the SABC" and who implicated him in several instances of
maladministration and abuse of power, has now become the best-paid employee at
the beleaguered SABC, increasing his salary from R3,78 million to a staggering
R4.197 million during the 2015/2016 financial year.
The almost half a million increase comes
after Hlaudi Motsoeneng's almost R1 million salary increase during the previous
year, out-earning even president Jacob Zuma as the SABC continue to lurch from
crisis to crisis, posing yet another and bigger loss and getting its 6th consecutive qualified audit for its annual financial results that paint a dire
picture of the SABC’s finances and future.
Included in Hlaudi Motsoeneng's R4.19 million
payday is a bonus of R213 000 – up from the previous year – as well as
expenses and allowances of R945 000.
While Hlaudi Motsoeneng and acting CEO James Aguma
keep saying "the SABC is sustainable", the SABC's cash balance plunged further and fell
below the R1 billion threshold, now sitting at an alarming R881 million, as its
losses increased from R395 million to R411 million by the end of March.
2012/2013
2013/2014
2014/2015
2015/2016
Net profit/loss:
R330 mil net profit R358
mil net profit* R395 million net loss R411 mill net loss
Cash balance:
R1.07
billion
R1.42
billion R1.01 billion
R881 million
Average TV share:
53% 48.6% 53% 48.8%
*Whether the SABC made this/a profit is doubtful since the
Auditor-General (AG) issued a disclaimer, citing that the SABC during this
period was particularly rife with financial mismanagement, inadequate
financial controls and a lack of supporting documentation.
While the SABC spends million to gather SABC
TV licence fees, the SABC's shocking financial report reveals that the South
African public broadcaster keeps getting less money as collection fees "continue to decrease" with the majority of South Africans who simply don't
bother or care to pay for a SABC TV licence.
The SABC more than doubled what it pays in
consulting fees – now at a staggering R80 million – while material losses due to
fruitless and wasteful expenditure increased from R58 million to R92 million.
Lap of luxury in Mauritius
Meanwhile the SABC's failed to manage the
optics with SABC executives Bessie Tugwana and Nomsa Philiso jetting off to
Mauritius for a luxury conference in the same week as the SABC revealed its
staggering R411 million loss.
On Tuesday last week, Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was just
re-appointed as the SABC's head of corporate affairs was specifically asked at
a press conference if he was still going to Mauritius.
Although he's no longer the SABC's chief
operating officer (COO) – which is why he was invited to the NexTV CEO 2016
African TV Business leaders summit – Hlaudi Motsoeneng was adamant that he was
definitely flying to Mauritius on Wednesday.
He was suddenly replaced by Bessie Tugwana
and Nomsa Philiso on the Mauritius TV summit getaway with no explanation from
the SABC.
It's not known how much the SABC is paying
for the executives' island jaunt where South Africa's minister of
communications Faith Muthambi is the keynote speaker on Africa's digitisation
and future of TV in Africa.
The 5-star Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa
with luxurious sea-facing rooms describes itself as "the perfect location to
mix business and pleasure".
