by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster's news boss Phathiswa Magopeni, who has accused the SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini of gross political editorial interference into SABC News editorial operations, has rebuffed a so-called"golden handshake" payoff to leave and refused to accept a massive cash bonus payout to just leave the troubled SABC quietly.
Following a disciplinary hearing that found Phathiswa Magopeni guilty on one charge of misconduct for the failure to stop the broadcasting of an episode of the current affairs programme Special Assignment, the SABC has quietly been trying to get rid of Phathiswa Magopeni by trying to get her to accept a massive financial payout to leave - something she has rejected.
The City Press newspaper reported that while Phathiswa Magopeni continued to oversee the SABC News division, shunned a massive financial offer to leave the troubled SABC that is once again suffering reputational and credibility damage over its news coverage.
According to sources, SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe and SABC chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini were ordered by ANC politicians to get rid of Phathiswa Magopeni.
Phathiswa Magopeni said that Madoda Mxakwe is resolute in "hounding" her out of the public broadcaster and that both Madoda Mxakwe and Bongumusa Makhathini called her on 24 October last year and tried to force her to approve and schedule an interview with ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa.
If true, this is a clear transgression of SABC rules against editorial interference by SABC top execs and the SABC board into the operations of the SABC newsroom.
City Press reports that Phathiswa Magopeni has now been "offered a huge amount of cash to walk away from the organisation, but she had refused, saying that accepting it would be tantamount to an admission of guilt".
An insider says "They called her and her lawyers and tabled the offer, which included her salary for the remaining months of her contract, all the bonuses she could have received and a golden handshake for agreeing to leave the SABC quietly, but she rejected them".
