A judge will today rule whether the urgent court interdict should be enforced against the SABC's chief operating officer and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng and whether he should immediately be suspended by the SABC.
In October Judge Ashton Schippers in the Western Cape High Court ruled that Hlaudi Motsoeneng be suspended immediately by the SABC.
It followed after the Democratic Alliance filed the application, demanding that Hlaudi Motsoeneng be suspended by the SABC following the Public Protector's scathing report on the SABC and Hlaudi Motsoeneng, implicating him in maladministration and corruption at the public broadcaster and saying that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".
According to the Public Protector, Hlaudi Motsoeneng lied about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he didn't have and couldn't produce.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng was implicated as having been involved in getting rid of everyone who testified against him in an earlier disciplinary hearing at the SABC, and his salary increased from R1.5 million to R2.4 million at the SABC in one year.
The Public Protector's report advised the SABC to appoint a new COO within 90 days. Instead the SABC appointed Hlaudi Motsoeneng in the position permanently.
Hlaudi Motsoeneng appealed the court decision ordering the SABC to suspend him.
Judge Ashton Schippers said that "organs of state cannot ignore the Public Protector's remedial action".
The court ordered the SABC to start disciplinary proceedings againt Hlaudi Motsoeneng to be conducted by an independent person.
"Good administration of the SABC and openness and accountability, demand his suspension," Judge Ashton Schippers ruled, saying that the allegations against Hlaudi Motsoeneng is serious.
Judge Ashton Schippers ordered the SABC and the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, to pay the legal costs of the court application.
