Parliament's ad hoc committee investigating the SABC on Tuesday singled out and slammed the SABC's acting CEO, James Aguma and SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, accusing them of acting in bad faith and asking why "they go and make such terrible decisions on behalf of the SABC?"
The committee members continuing their special investigation into the chaos at the SABC, slammed the SABC for its "reckless" decision to try and appeal against the Western Cape High Court ruling that found that the controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is not allowed to hold any position at the public broadcaster and that James Aguma is personally liable for his part of the application to appeal.
After the SABC's application was turned down, SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the SABC is "disappointed". Kaizer Kganyago also said Hlaudi Motsoeneng's abrupt implementation of local content quotas at the SABC will remain in place.
"When people take reckless decisions, those people should actually pay out of their own pockets," said ANC member of parliament Jabu Mhlangu.
"There is no SABC board currently at the SABC. One naturally assumes the decision to challenge the court ruling has been taken by the board as no-one else is authorised," said Jabu Mhlangu.
"We should ask James Aguma and in particular Kaizer Kganyago that they should explain why, when there is an inquiry in process, they go and make such terrible decisions on behalf of the SABC," said EFF MP Fana Mokoena.
"Are they doing it with the permission of the minister [of communications Faith Muthambi]? If not, they must explain both to her and to parliament so we have an understanding of what we are dealing with".
"There are issues of contracts happening fraudulently in the SABC," said ANC MP Patrick Chauke.
"It's contemptuous. They do not consider parliament as a body to respect," said DA MP Phumzile van Damme.
Narend Singh, IFP MP said there's no good faith from SABC executives referring to Kaizer Kganyago saying that the SABC's local content quotas stand. "They need to be reminded that those matters fall within the purview of the recommendations we are to make to parliament".
The committee will meet again next week.
