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The SABC is fuming mad over a fake Twitter account impersonating and mocking the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's enfant terrible acting chief operating officer (COO).
The angry SABC is now on a witch hunt trying to shut down "the individual deceiving the nation and the world, pretending to be Hlaudi Motsoeneng".
The famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng achieved a meteoric rise inside the beleaguered South African public broadcaster and is whispered in Auckland Park corridors to be "a close friend" of president Jacob Zuma.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng for instance "personally" oversaw and is part of the team "screening" all political parties' political TV commercials before the SABC perhaps broadcast it.
The SABC top management and the SABC board has done nothing to Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who has not been placed on suspension, since a scathing report was released in February by South Africa's Public Protector.
In a recorded interview with the Public Protector, Hlaudi Motsoeneng admitted that he lied about having matric, that he lied about having a matric certificate, and admitted that he "made up symbols" for a fake matric certificate he knew he could never produce.
The Public Protector implicated Hlaudi Motsoeneng in abuse of power, maladministration and corruption, ranging from being directly implicated in numerous quick salary increases amounting to millions at the SABC and the direct involvement in the firing of everybody at the SABC who testified against him in a prior disciplinary hearing.
The Public Protector's February final report found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng should "never have been appointed at the SABC" in the first place - let alone being promoted to acting COO.
The SABC is now barking mad at "an imposter who is masquerading himself or herself on Twitter as the acting COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng".
The "Hlaudi Motsoeneng" Twitter account sprang up on 10 April, but things came to a head this week for the SABC and the real Hlaudi Motsoeneng, when "Hlaudi Motsoeneng" with wild abandon, gave followers bon mots of joy, advice and photos of a busy day in the life of Hlaudi Motsoeneng - especially when the political party EFF decided to march on the SABC.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng is outraged and wants the Twitter account disabled, and ordered a press statement to be issued.
"Hlaudi Motsoeneng" at the Twitter handle @SABC_COO has been serving up a laugh a minute with precious images of Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a red beret of the EFF (Hlaudi Motsoeneng is an ANC Jacob Zuma loyalist), and hilarious Twitter messages like:
"Tough day for comrade Kaizer Kganyago. Keep your head up!"
(the SABC's corporate communications tzar)
"#EFF led by failed matriculant. Cadre Julius runs a party (business) but my matric is questioned? Double standard much?"
"Long enough day. Might not have a matric but I know and value hard work!"
"SABC reserves the right & privilege to change content as and when it sees fit to."
The SABC says it "views this matter in a serious light as this is not just a violation of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's rights and identity theft but it affect the SABC as the organisation that Hlaudi Motsoeneng represents".
"The individual deceiving the nation and the world pretending to be Hlaudi Motsoeneng is communicating messages that are in conflict with the SABC's standpoint on several issues which is in turn causing a problem for the organisation and misrepresenting the acting COO".
The SABC says Hlaudi Motsoeneng "does not have a Twitter account and any account with his name and photograph is deemed fake and must be disregarded".
Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC now plan to get the Twitter account taken down and want to "possibly prohibit anyone who will open a Twitter account impersonating Hlaudi Motsoeneng".
