There's widespread shock, disbelief and condemnation of the SABC today following the South African public broadcaster's permanent appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng who advocates for "good news stories" to be told by SABC News and the media and who also wants South African journalists to be licensed.
This week on The Justice Factor Hlaudi Motsoeneng was asked if he lied and falsified his qualifications but on television he said no.
The SABC and the SABC board has so far failed to act on any of the recommendations of the Public Protector's damning report of Hlaudi Motsoeneng which was issued in February and which states that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".
"The finding is that Hlaudi Motsoeneng had lied to the SABC about having a matric certificate. He admitted to me, and I have a recorded interview with him," Thuli Madonsela told eNCA (DStv 403) on Wednesday evening.
"Secondly the position was initially advertised as a position requiring certain qualifications. Therefore Hlaudi Motsoeneng didn't have those qualifications. One of them was a tertiary degree which he didn't have".
Thuli Madonsela said she found the news that Hlaudi Motsoeneng has suddenly been permanently appointed in the position of chief operating officer (COO) "unusual. It is odd".
"The SABC board chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has written to me several times requesting extra time to submit and implementation plan," said Thuli Madonsela on eNCA.
"She was supposed to do that in 30 days. Five months down the line I'm still waiting for just a simple plan that indicated what Ellen Zandile Tshabalala is going to do. That obviously would have included her indicating to me how and when they were going to appoint the SABC's new COO".
"The first thing to do is to ask the minister of communications Faith Muthambi and the SABC board to come and explain themselves".
"Based on that I may then approach parliament to request a debate on the SABC's behaviour throughout this investigation, and finally in proceeding with this appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng".
"My main job was to say that if the SABC advertises a job as requiring certain qualifications it must then appoint a person who has those qualifications".
"Secondly, if somebody has conducted themselves wrongly, in other words, have been dishonest and committed fraud, they must be held accountable for that first before you can proceed about thinking of appointing them to a higher position, or a more permanent position than what they were occupying in the first place where misconduct took place," Thuli Madonsela told eNCA.
