SABC officially appoints Chris Maroleng as new, permanent chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC from February.

Chris Maroleng has officially been appointed as the new, permanent chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC, starting 1 February 2018.

He replaces Bessie Tugwana who has been the SABC acting COO, following the controversial and contentious tenure of the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng who lied about his qualifications and caused staff, operational, financial and morale chaos at the embattled South African public broadcaster during his tenure before he was eventually finally fired in June 2017.

The SABC has meanwhile quietly advertised in December 2017 for a new SABC CEO and new SABC chief financial officer (CFO), and announced on Tuesday that the deadline for applications has been extended to 14 February 2018.

Chris Maroleng's appointment as SABC COO was expected after SABC insiders and SABC board members in mid-January confirmed to TVwithThinus that the former eNCA (DStv 403 anchor has been the preferred candidate and that he will be appointed as the new second highest in charge executive at the SABC.

Chris Maroleng has a gargantuan task ahead of him at the SABC where the broadcaster - besides a financial crisis - faces systems, staffers, operational, editorial, content and broadcasting procedures that were torn down and needs to be rebuilt and repaired - alongside the worker morale, credibility and trust in the SABC and its damaged public brand image.

Chris Maroleng left the cellular company MTN at the end of December where he resigned as group head for corporate affairs to join the SABC. Before that he was eNCA Africa editor for 6 years as well as a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies.

Chris Maroleng has a BA (Hons) and MA degrees from the University of Cape Town and has received several post-graduate scholarships and awards.

"I look forward to playing a role as part of an executive team, in transforming the SABC into a world-class public broadcaster that is responsive to the needs of all South Africans," said Chris Maroleng in a statement on Tuesday.

The SABC in the same statement said "the chairperson of the SABC on behalf of the board of the public broadcaster is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Maroleng as the chief operations officer of the SABC, with effect from 1 February 2018."

"Chris Maroleng has demonstrated considerable management and financial acumen and he is familiar with the cutting-edge Fourth Industrial Revolution issues that the SABC needs to embrace going forward".

In an altercation on live TV in April 2010 on the eNCA TV news channel, Chris Maroleng became a viral sensation after he was involved in the protection of an on-air guest, the political analyst Lebohang Pheko, during a heated discussion with the former AWB secretary general André Visagie, and his infamous retort to his aggressive guest, saying: "Don't touch me on my studio."

Chris Maroleng to become the SABC's new permanent chief operating officer (COO), replacing Hlaudi Motsoeneng - sources.

Chris Maroleng is to become the SABC's new permanent chief operating officer (COO) replacing the controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

SABC insiders, including SABC management and SABC board sources told TVwithThinus that the former Africa editor at eMedia Investments' TV news channel eNCA (DStv 403) will be appointed as the SABC's new COO.

Chris Maroleng was an eNCA anchor and Africa editor until he left eNCA in July 2014.

At eNCA Chris Maroleng led the team which started eNews Africa in 2009 and built up the channel's Africa division, which included the setting up of news bureaux in Nairobi and Lagos, and was the anchor of the weekly show Africa 360 that was abruptly cancelled in April 2015.

Chris Maroleng left eNCA when eNCA started to gut its Africa division and downsized its news staff and operations as it dramatically slashed budgets and Africa coverage - something that eNCA hasn't recovered from three and a half years later.

Chris Maroleng then became MTN's group executive for corporate affairs until the end of December 2017.

Chris Maroleng who has a master’s degree in international relations, as well as a honours and BA degree in political studies and law from the University of Cape Town, is most famous with the South African public for his "don't touch me on my studio" altercation on live TV in April 2010.

Pandemonium ensued in the eNCA studio during Chris Maroleng's Africa 360 show, where he intervened and protected the political analyst Lebohang Pheko when the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) secretary general Andre Visagie went ballistic on air.

Sources tell TVwithThinus that Chris Maroleng will become the SABC's new permanent COO from February 2017, a position that's been vacant for months and that has been filled by Bessie Tugwana, a so-called "Hlaudi enforcer", who has been appointed and who has been serving in the role the past few months in an acting capacity.

While Hlaudi Motsoeneng was acting COO and permanent COO, the famously matricless executive plunged the SABC into a myriad of crises.

That ranged from financial to bad governance issues, as he made wrong and debilitating decisions that heaped not just negative headlines and scorn on the SABC but also negatively affected the broadcaster's staff morale, liquidity and operating bank balance, and viewership and listenership ratings.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 23 October 2017

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ Messy Bessie.
SABC acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana is one of top SABC executives embroiled in extremely dodgy deals of millions of rand now under investigation by the Special Investigative Unit (SIU).
Other SABCers embroiled in the money wasting mess are the suspended head of sports, Sully Motsweni; manager in the office of the SABC CFO, Thandeka Ndlovu; and Marcia Mahlalela, strategy and planning manager in the SABC Sports division.


■ MUST READ: 10 things TStv should have done differently before it tried to launch.
Incredibly insightful and spot-on article with 10 excellent points as to why TStv in Nigeria is probably going to fail.

- TStv hype turned out to be a fake flash in the pan.
- What will happen to failure-to-launch TStv after the arrival of Kwesé Nigeria since "TStv is having too much suspicion around them as to their credibility"?
- Kwesé TV Nigeria launches while TStv that made a lot of noise has no decoders to sell.
- Nigerian xenophobia against DStv and MultiChoice Nigeria while TStv is actually responsible for it's own mess and failure to launch.

■ Star Trek fans shocked by profane Star Trek: Discovery's F-bombs and should Star Trek use the F-word?
- Is Star Trek: Discovery on Netflix about to copy the Tribble Kingon twist from "Trouble with Tribbles"?
- Jason Isaacs reveals the chaotic nature of Star Trek: Discovery scripts and script changes.
- What the hell is Star Trek: Discovery; spending time with these characters feels like a drag.


■ Netflix settles with a former executive who accuses Netflix of "tolerating harassment and discrimination".

■ Actress Sean Young says sex predator Harvey Weinstein pulled his penis out of his pants before her.
"You know, Harvey, I really don't think you should be pulling that thing out, it's not very pretty."

■ Actress Heather Kerr says sex predator Harvey Weinstein forced himself on her.
Unzipped his pants, pulled out his penis, grabbed her hand, forced it onto his organ, and held it there.

■ Mickael Chemloul, former chauffeur of sweaty "The Pig" Harvey Weinstein reveals the sex predator's filth.
Kept condoms in the car, binged on sugar before orgies, fury when prostitutes didn't show, raped women in cars and hotels, fed so much at Naomi Campbell's party his gastric band burst.

■ How sex predator Harvey Weinstein exploited the fashion industry as a pipeline to get models.
Project Runway also used to funnel young models to the abuser.


■ Blaise Godbe Lipman accuses APA agent Tyler Grasham of getting him drunk and sexual assaulting him. Film and TV editor Lucas Ozarowski says Tyler Grasham groped him.
The APA agency suspends Tyler Grasham and then fires him over the sexual abuse claims.
- The star of Netflix's Stranger Things, Finn Wolfhard, dumps APA.
- The Disney Channel's (DStv 303) Descendants actor Cameron Boyce is also done with APA.
- Several complaints over Tyler Grasham "hip-pocketing" teenage actors.


■ People in Northern Ireland urged (by the TV Licensing Department!) to turn their TV Licence papers into origami - like paper swans.

■ StarTimes is an embarrassing no-show at the press conference of the sport it sponsors.
Akorfa Dnajkui, StarTimes marketing manager in Ghana is embarrassingly missing without an excuse.

■ Oppressive Mauritania government shuts down all TV stations.
except the state broadcaster, TVM.
Mauritania's five privately owned news stations - Dava, Sahel TV, Chinguitt, al-Watania and Al-Mourabitoun TV - are all shut down amidst civil unrest in the country on orders of the Mauritanian Radio and Television Broadcast Authority.

Calls for urgent parliamentary meeting next week after SABC staffers threaten strike; DA political party says staffers 'within their rights to take action to prevent SABC sliding backwards'.

There's calls for an urgent parliamentary meeting to be held in the coming week after angry and fed-up SABC staffers are saying they're planning to strike.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party has called for an urgent meeting to be held in parliament in the coming week following threatened strike action by SABC trade unions who say they've had enough of "threats and fear" at the beleaguered and cash-strapped South Africa public broadcaster plagued by mismanagement.

SABC staffers on the verge of revolt, want acting SABC news boss Kenneth Makatees a so-called "enforcer of the SABC's Protest Policy" gone.

SABC staffers are also demanding the immediate suspension and removal of several alleged executives who are so-called "Hlaudi enforcers" like Nothando Maseko and are demanding an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as acting COO.

The DA political party's member of parliament, Phumzile van Damme, says the DA "fully supports the right of SABC staff to engage in legal strike action" - something that trade unions Bemawu and the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) has told SABC top management could lead to a SABC blackout.

The DA says several of the demands in the joint letter of demand on Friday that Bemawu and the CWU sent to the SABC's top executives are reasonable, particularly "the immediate appointment of the SABC board as recommended by parliament, disciplinary action against the former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and so-called enforcers", and a "full investigation" of the SABC's since overturned SABC TV News censorship policy.

"The brilliant work initiated by the SABC interim board to steer the SABC to calm waters has been stalled, and the public broadcaster has begun sliding backwards," says Phumzile van Damme.

"The SABC has many talented, qualified staff who care deeply about ensuring that the public broadcaster delivers on its mandate to South Africa."

"They are therefore well within their rights to take action to prevent the SABC sliding backwards and once again becoming a cesspool of corruption, mismanagement and poor programming."

The Democratic Alliance political party wants parliament's portfolio comittee on communications to hold a meeting in the coming week to allow the trade unions Bemawu and CWU, as well as the so-called 'SABC8" journalists who protested the SABC's news censorship policy, to "tell their side of the story".

"Many of the concerns raised by the SABC staff could have been prevented did the SABC have a board in place".

Angry SABC staffers demand immediate suspension, removal of alleged 'Hlaudi enforcers' Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko; investigation into COO Bessie Tugwana's appointment.

Angry SABC staffers at the struggling South African public broadcaster in a strongly-worded letter are demanding the immediate suspension and removal of several alleged executives who are so-called "Hlaudi enforcers" like acting news boss Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko and for an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as acting COO.

SABC staffers on the verge of revolt, want Kenneth Makatees a so-called "enforcer of the SABC's Protest Policy" gone.

Kenneth Makatees recently had a meeting with the president Jacob Zuma, with the presidency that has refused to answer calls for a release of the meeting's transcripts.

SABC staffers are furious and are warning the public broadcaster that protected strike action is planned at the public broadcaster.

The SABC, deep in the red and having posted a R977 million loss, is mired in mismanagement, sits with no board and only acting executives in all of its top positions.

The trade unions Bemawu and the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) in a joint letter of demand on Friday to the SABC's top bosses, warned the SABC management that most of the enforcers who supported the controversial and famously matricless executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng who instituted illegal SABC news censorship and the subsequent dismissal of the SABC journalists opposed to it - are still employed at the broadcaster.

SABC staffers say for these alleged enablers who are still employed "at lucrative salaries at the SABC" it is "business as usual, and they have escaped justice".

SABC staffers say they've been subjected to "threats and fear, unilateral restructurings, change of work practices and shift roster, appointments without advertising positions and a zero-percentage increase".

"In the meantime, the SABC is slipping deeper into insolvency, to the extent that it endangers the employment, well-being, and health of our members.

SABC staffers are warning that "it is our view the SABC is still captured by politicians – more than ever – and we cannot sit back to allow this to happen".

The trade unions in their letter say they demand "the immediate appointment of the SABC board already selected and recommended by parliament, and the immediate suspension of all the enforcers of the Protest Policy which resulted in the dismissal of the SABC8, to wit, Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko, Nyana Molete and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane."

The trade unions in the joint letter says it the immediate suspension of "all the unprocedurally appointed managers and/or people who supported the system to either enforce the Protest Policy, contributed to the poor financial position of the SABC," and those who "neglect to act when policies and procedures were not followed, and did not report irregularities when they became aware of same".

According to Bemawu and the CWU in their letter this includes Tshifhiwa Mulaudzi, the SABC's executive for sales & marketing; Abdul Matthee who Bemawu and the CWU claim is responsible for millions of rand in losses due to the failures of the Landmark system, as well as Keobokile Mosweu, Sizwe Vilikazi, Bessie Tugwana, Tseliso Ralitabo, Ayanda Mkhize and Theresa Geldenhuys.

Staffers demand the immediate suspension of "the status quo in respect of structural changes, work patterns and hours of employees, in particular in News, until a new board is in office, and employees be properly consulted."

They also want "the full and unconditional restoration of the merger between Henley Studios and News, with no change in reporting lines and work practices, without full and proper consultation with employees, and only after a new Board has been appointed."

Other demands include "a salary increase of 10% across the board, backdated to April 2017" and "the appointment of all workers previously on fixed term contracts at News, whose contracts has not been renewed as fixed term, but as freelance contracts, or not at all.

SABC staffers are also calling for "the removal of Kenneth Makatees as acting head of news, to be replaced by a non-enforcer nominated from the competent news staff in Johannesburg," and the "redeployment of Themba Mathonsi to a different department".

Bemawu and the CWU say SABC staffers are "tired of his Gestapo style of management".

SABC staffers are further demanding a "full investigation regarding the protest policy and the report should be made public; an investigation at SABC Sport in respect of the non-renewal of contracts; the redeployment of admin people in operational roles under the disguise to develop them; and the appointment of freelancers to act in permanent positions".

SABC staff also want an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as the acting SABC COO "in particular as she has reached retirement age, and allegations of her employing friends".

Staffers also want "the renewal of the contract of Keobokile Mosweu, an alleged enforcer of Motsoeneng to be investigated and reversed".

Bemawu and the CWU told the SABC's acting CEO Nomsa Philiso that it's giving SABC management 7 days to meet these demands.

"Should these demands not be met in 7 days, excluding the unilateral change to the shift roster of News Staff, from date of this letter, labour will file a dispute and ballot its members to seek a mandate for a protected strike".

Communications minister Ayanda Dlodlo again extends the acting terms of the SABC's acting CEO, COO and CFO, this time until permanent appointments are made.

South Africa's minister of communications, Ayanda Dlodlo on Thursday afternoon announced that she has extended the acting appointments of the beleaguered South African public broadcaster top executives yet again for another few months, the announcement coming just hours before their terms were to lapse at midnight tonight.

The struggling SABC facing a possible strike, deep in the red and having posted yet another and growing R977 million annual loss, is adrift without any permanent or interim board since South African president Jacob Zuma refuses to appoint and rubber-stamp the names that was sent to the presidency from parliament after an public interview and appointment process.

Ayanda Dlodlo announced that Nomsa Philiso (acting SABC CEO), Bessie Tugwana (acting SABC COO) and Thabile Dlamini (acting SABC CFO) will all continue in their acting roles with their acting appointment terms extended until the vacancies for these positions are filled on a permanent basis.

All of the SABC's top executive positions remain acting positions who can't take or make incisive and sweeping decisions, and with no board to direct or do corporate governance and proper oversight, the financially fragile SABC remains adrift in a stormy broadcasting sea, battered from all sides.

Nomsa Philiso, Bessie Tugwana and Thabile Dlamini were appointed in their respective acting positions in July and were supposed to serve until mid-October when permanent appointments were  to have beeto have been made, along with a new permanent SABC board.

Yet Ayanda Dlodo as new communications minister and president Jacob Zuma have failed the South African public and SABC viewers and listeners who are expected to pay an annual SABC TV licence fee, by not ensuring stability at the South African Broadcasting Corporation and making sure that proper appointment deadlines are being met.

Ayanda Dlodlo in a statement on Thursday said she extended the acting CEO, acting COO and acting CFO appointments citing the now often-used, fall-back paragraph from the Memorandum of Incorporation of the SABC, that her predecessor, the incompetent Faith Muthambi, used several times over the past two years.

Ayanda Dlodlo said the Memorandum of Incorporation of the SABC allows her to appoint "any person to act in the stead of the CEO, CFO and the COO shall only be appointed for a period of three months, subject to any extended period being approved by the minister".

In the statement Ayanda Dlodlo said "I hope this will enhance stability, ensure continuity and facilitate a seamless transition and a proper handover process for the incoming board."

What will actually enhance stability would be for Ayanda Dlodlo to have made sure there are a permanent CEO, COO and CFO in place at the SABC by now - as well as for president Jacob Zuma and Ayanda Dlodlo to have made sure that a permanent SABC board is in place before the term of the interim SABC board expired.

DAILY TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read from TVwithThinus - 3 October 2017.

Here's the latest news about TV that I read and that you should read too:

■ How the SABC's Bessie Tugwana allegedly tried to bulldoze in her "friend" over a senior producer.
The SABC's latest acting COO is the last of two appointments by Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Bessie Tugwana allegedly tried to get rid of Nompumelelo Phasha in favour of her "friend" Marcia Mahlalela.
Bessie Tugwana were warned that what she is doing will lead to irregular expenditure at the SABC.


■ Wendy Williams' husband Kevin Hunter has been having an affair with a young massage therapist. Allegedly.
Cheated on Wendy Williams in 2001 and has been living with "Sharina" for years with his mistress living just 9 miles down the road. Brave Wendy flashes an engagement ring to try and prove the love is strong, making sure the left hand is easily visible. She tells her Wendy Williams Show audience on BET (DStv 129)  "You can believe what you want,", says in a statement "there is not 'there' there".
- Rival talk show The Talk trashes in fake-seriously reporting the breathlessness as the audience goes "ooh, aah" - watch.


■ Still with talk, and the failing Megyn Kelly in her new talk show asks Jane Fonda about her plastic surgery - the rest of the interview is a wash-out.
"You really want to talk about that now?" is Jane Fonda's curt reply.

■ End of the TV remote control?
New TV technology changes the channel using body gestures.

■ Siesta Key episode order upped from 10 to 18.
First season of the new MTV reality show increased, will start on MTV (DStv 130) in South Africa and Africa in November.

■ Jason Isaacs talks about his new role as Captain Gabriel Lorca of the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery.
"I deliberately concentrated on not giving a f- ".
And in another interview he says "you don't want to be asking about things that get revealed during the show".
And in another interview "I'm dealing with idiots left, right and centre".

- Executive producer Akiva Goldsman, who directed the 3rd episode talk about Star Trek: Discovery's bigger story and then there's the bastardisation of string theory but with space spores.
 - And Star Trek The Next Generation has just turned 30 years old.

■ Piers Morgan interviews Mariah Carey, sprawled out on a couch in front of a Christmas tree, about the Las Vegas gun massacre.
Because Mimi isn't used enough insightful analyses as an expert on America's gun violence.


■ Hilariously misguided and uninformed Nigerians are mocking DStv as TStv launches.
Clueless that new pay-TV operator TStv isn't an improvement.
- Idiotic Nigerians don't realise the cost doesn't include installation - the "secret" terms and conditions of TStv that consumers are not aware of. Although some Nigerians are catching on, are cautious and are realising the true facts.
- MultiChoice Nigeria is giving GOtv subscribers in Nigeria one month free subscription in October as part of the new GOtv Max bouquet launch.
- Even more idiotic is Nigeria's minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed uttering trash statements at the launch event like "TStv will totally redefine the televison industry in Nigeria". It won't.
- At least Lai Mohammed admits a massive problem Nigeria has with its TV industry at the TStv launch event: The lack of a proper TV audience ratings system in Nigeria that is damaging and holding back Nigeria's TV biz.
- Images from the TStv launch event. Of course no press release or basic press statement but at least the satellite dishes come with potted plants.


■ MultiChoice Namibia held a TV content workshop
for Namibian content producers to explain how to pitch content to TV channels for their shows to appear on DStv. VIA (DStv 147) says it's willing to put Namibian content on the channel. People’s Weather (DStv 180) says it's willing to create a "Namibian block" on its channel.

■ OnseTV on StarSat doesn't have a channel head yet after its launch last week.
Or very clear answers to a lot of questions.

■ "Mulder and Scully are swapping places."
Some teasies about the second season of the revived The X-Files that will be broadcast in 2018.

SABC appoints Nomsa Philiso as latest acting CEO; SABC TV division again rudderless as both top two positions are vacant.

The out-of-cash SABC that has been hammering top executives for the past year and a half and that continues to lose top executives, rushed to appoint the SABC's TV boss, Nomsa Philiso as the latest new acting SABC CEO after James Aguma, embroiled in scandals, abruptly quit last week.

Thabile Dlamini has been appointed as the latest acting chief financial officer (CFO) at the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, replacing Audrey Raphela who was also removed under a cloud as she's implicated in several dubious multi-million contract deals of the SABC.

Bessie Tugwana will remain on as acting chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC in the post left vacant by the controversial and now fired, famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The chairperson of the SABC's interim board, Khanyisile Kweyama signed the three acting positions to be in effect until 12 October 2017.

It is just the latest top level executives moves at the SABC, where never-ending high-ranking executive changes are indicative of not just the unstable and ongoing palace intrigue that continues to grip and morbidly fascinates South Africa's TV industry, but of how really bad and gutted the internal management of the public broadcaster has become.

Nomsa Philiso became the SABC's TV boss in August 2016 but her move to acting SABC CEO once again leaves South Africa's TV industry fearful and wondering about what's happening at the embattled public broadcaster that's struggling to pay local South African producers.

The SABC didn't announce an acting replacement and acting executive for the SABC's role of group executive for television - the SABC's highest TV executive position - with Nomsa Philiso shifting to the acting CEO position.

Trying to claw back from ongoing turmoil and making the situation at the SABC's TV division even more dire to outside observers, is the fact that Maijang Sam Mpherwane will finally be officially gone at the end of this week as SABC TV's number two executive in charge in the position of general manager for SABC television.

What it means is that the SABC's TV division, from August, will have no specific executives as permanent appointments in the top two executive positions in its television division - extremely important and crucial positions that look after and supervise all TV matters at the public broadcaster.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't issue any public press statement about the new acting appointments but the SABC told its staffer "citizens" in an internal email that "staff members are encouraged to support the executive directors in their roles in taking the organisation to greater heights. We wish them all the best during their tenure".

Some thoughts on the SABC's Thursday afternoon media briefing that was still bad - and badly attended - but better than the chaotic pressers of 2016.

On Thursday afternoon the SABC held (yet another) media briefing at its Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg.

The SABC announced called the media to attend, to announce that the SABC is embarking on a new public policy review process to update 6 of its policies after the broadcasting regulator Icasa ruled that the SABC's 2016 editorial policy update was illegal because it failed to consult the public.

While the SABC's press conference on Thursday afternoon was still bad and very badly done - it's not just the SABC PR tsar Kaizer Kganyago's duo-chromatic satorial choices that seem stuck in the 80s - the SABC managed to do a better media briefing than all of the chaotic and unorganised trash pressers of 2016.

The SABC continues to struggle with optics, and to get things - for instance its media briefings - to look "right".

Here's some personal thoughts on Thursday afternoon's briefing and things I noticed:

■ The media briefing was very badly attended
Whose problem and fault was that? Probably the SABC that seems out of touch. Only a few media outlets and journalists pitched - bad for something that the SABC presumably wants to get buy-in for, and wide exposure for.

It doesn't seem as if the SABC's PR and corporate communications division really knows the media anymore, or has kept up with who the most relevant, correct media stakeholders are.

The big problem for the bad attendance is the SABC's own fault and is twofold. The SABC's lack of credibility and failure to start on time.

For a long while - right through 2015 and 2016 - the SABC absolutely destroyed its own credibility and its credibility when it comes to any professionalism regarding its media briefings.

The SABC gave too short prior notification, went too long, allowed speakers to rant and rave, reacted with bombastic hostility to media and has a problem starting on time, making journalists wait after sending out urgent invitations.

A lot of media I talk to say they're unwilling to make the effort to go to the SABC if it's going to be a mess. The SABC will have to put in real one-on-one work to (re)engage with editors and journalists. It's not something that will magically fix itself.

It's terrible that the SABC announces something like a public review process for its editorial policies and can't get more than a handful of media to attend.

■ Timing
Perpetually late, Thursday's SABC media briefing started almost on time - the best yet after a string of late starts for several press briefings.

Hopefully this aspect will continue to improve, because media are no longer willing to go to the SABC for press conference and wait for an hour and longer with nothing happening and no updates.

It's not even a basic courtesy issue. News editors and journalists have tight deadlines, and the SABC causes havoc by not having any sense of urgency and making it difficult for media to file stories,and with news editors wondering why journalists are away to do one basic press briefing story for so long.

"I hope that today we have redeemed ourselves," said Khanyisile Kweyama, chairperson of the SABC interim board on Thursday afternoon.

"The last time we had a press conference, we started about an hour and a half late. So in your eyes I hope we are improving".

■ Unnecessary talking heads
The SABC unprofessionally continues to drag out a bunch of people for media briefings as if the number of executives it puts on display somehow is supposed to - what? - visually show corporate ballast or that people are working?

It doesn't work and signals an amateurish, childish approach to feign a type of "all hands on deck" image.

It doesn't work and the SABC is clueless about how other broadcasters do it, while media laugh behind their hands every time the SABC does these kind of "hand puppet" shows.

On Thursday the SABC once again looked amateur when it seemed it didn't even know how many people it was going to put up at its latest show-and-tell.

After everyone were seated, here came Bessie Tugwana, acting chief operating officer (COO).

Now there wasn't enough seats behind the black curtain table. So Philly Moilwa, the SABC's head of policy and regulatory affairs division, had to get up and go get another chair.

Question: Why is Bessie Tugwana there if the acting SABC CEO Tseliso Ralitabo is present? Redundant.

Question: Why is SABC interim board member Krish Naidoo there (who didn't get to speak a word) if the chairperson of the SABC interim board is there? Superfluous.

This whole presser could have been conducted by one spokesperson, and one person like Khanyisile Kweyama.

Make it as easy and as singular as possible for the media to cover, and to get your message across.

"Thank you chair for having stolen the thunder. She has actually given you the whole gist in terms of where we begin and where we end," said Philly Moilwa when he eventually got to talk, perfectly illustrating the problem the SABC keeps making.

■ The SABC's TV ads to alert the public
In the bigger overall scheme of things this is really a 0.001% problem and probably nobody but only the very, very eagle-eyed will notice or care.

On Thursday afternoon the SABC showed two of its series of in-house TV commercials it will be running to alert people about the policy review process.

Question: Why is there a spelling mistake in the (yellow) one? Interference isn't spelled "interferance".

Question: Why are old SABC news readers and even Noeleen Maholwana Sangu of the former 3Talk included? They're not even on SABC TV anymore.

■ Bessie Tugwana
Bessie Tugwana talks in a way where she doesn't come across as COO material.

Her non-answer answers are so obtuse - just like in parliament - that one wonders whose idea it is to roll her out in front of the press.

■ Black and white
The SABC is far from digital but at least SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago wore a black-and-white barcode tie that's almost, kind of digital.

Bra Kaizer also continues to say stuff that's not quite true.

"People want to give an impression that the SABC doesn't care about local content," said Kaizer Kganyago on Thursday.

Uhm, nobody has ever said that.

"We are the ones that are developing the industry. We are the ones that are going out there to make sure that we get as much local content as we can," said Kaizer Kganyago.

The fact is that the SABC is behind in paying local production companies. That doesn't develop but actually breaks and negatively impacts the industry.

Fired Metro FM sportscaster Robert Marawa slams 'crazy, wrong-doing' SABC executives; says truth will come out, that there's lots of unhappy people at the SABC.

The fired veteran sportscaster Robert Marawa who got sacked by the SABC from his Metro FM show in the week without being told directly after he stood up for his suspended producer is calling out the SABC's "crazy" and "wrong-doing" executives.

He told Power FM in a radio interview that the truth will come out and that there's a lot of unhappy people at the SABC.

In the week the SABC's latest head of sport Sully Motsweni and the acting general manager for radio Orapeleng Lethebe fired the veteran sportscaster Robert Marawa who has been doing the hugely popular Sports@6 show on Metro FM, and said in a statement that the SABC "wishes him well".

The beleaguered and cash-strapped SABC that no longer has a head of radio and is awaiting yet another government bail-out, then admitted that it didn't tell Robert Marawa directly that he was fired, with SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago claiming that the SABC couldn't get hold of him.

Three weeks ago Robert Marawa refused to return to his Metro FM show out of solidarity after what he called the unfair suspension of his radio show producer Beverly Maphangwa for including a short comment from a sports commentator in the show - something that presenters are allowed to do.

The SABC then sent Robert Marawa a letter saying he has to give reason why he shouldn't be fired for failing to show up for work.

Robert Marawa who also works as a sportscaster or pay-TV broadcaster MultiChoice and its SuperSport media outfit had to find out from other SABC staffers that he was abruptly fired this week when they got a company-circulated internal email and they in turn told him.

"SABC Sport came through from the beginning of June and took over the running of the show as opposed to Metro FM running the show," Robert Marawa told the Power FM radio station in an interview on Friday, explaining the bizarre circumstances around his firing from the SABC.

"It suddenly became SABC Sport now in charge of all sports on all radio stations, including Metro FM".

"I did say as long as you guys don't interfere with the editorial of the show, I don't have a problem with this new plan that you guys have. But it didn't take long for it to really surface that it was about the editorial that was the key factor," said Robert Marawa.

"So somebody who is coming in, who's new with a set agenda, can't come through and tell me - especially if they don't have a background in broadcasting, they've got a background in telling TV presenters what to wear on weekends, and you've been in marketing and you've been doing all of these things - and then all of a sudden you feel you've got the power to come through and tell us that."

"So they have trumped up charges against Bev, suspended her. But they never ever had a hearing for her. She never went for a disciplinary hearing to say 'charge 1'."

"So they suspended her, never charged her, I took myself off air and then as a result I'm now charged with withdrawing my services. But I withdrew my services, notifying them I'm not coming through."

"Then yesterday they reinstated her, but never mentioned any of the two charges that she had so-called broken within the SABC."


'These guys are crazy'
Robert Marawa told Power FM that "my lawyer actually laughed at the charges and said these guys are crazy, and crazy they are. And that is why with sober minds we will approach it in a manner where South Africans will be able to see what has gone on here. I'm not fighting to get my job back. It's not about that."

"We will be able to present a very clear case of why the public has been duped and why after I had gone to the SABC interim board myself, David Kekana and a whole group of people have gone and approached SABC board deputy chairperson Mathata Tsedu, Krish Naidoo in the presence of acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana".

Robert Marawa said they mentioned to the SABC's interim board the "shenanigans" that Sully Motsweni "is committing as we speak who has been in charge of SABC Sport and it has to do with money, and it has to do with wrong-doing".

Robert Marawa told Power FM that she was in the meeting that was held during the week "recused themselves, said they're going to Sandton, but ultimately came back into the meeting to then say to everybody 'Robert has got to go - immediately', which was her call".

He said "people mustn't read and then fall prey to the lies that these people are bringing forward".


'When people are doing wrong, you shouldn't be scared'
Robert Marawa slammed the SABC for the public broadcaster's apparent lack of support to on-air talent.

"Unfortunately there, the more you succeed, and the more you bring in the numbers, the more people fall in love with your work, the more the people that are running the show - the administrators - and some of the ones who made this decision are in acting positions, imagine taking such a drastic decision from someone who is in an acting position," said Robert Marawa.

"When it comes to support, it's funny how when you get to a level of excellence in what you do, then the people around you tend not to support you," he said.

"The reason why I speak openly about this and I don't really fear anybody about this, is because it's the public broadcaster. It belong to the public. So when they go for bail-outs after they've chowed the money ... it's your money as a public broadcaster".

"When people are doing wrong, you shouldn't be scared," said Robert Marawa. "A lot of people are unhappy there [at the SABC] but they'll keep quiet".

"I stand my ground because you can't fear anybody. Rather starve in dignity than eat in shame."

Memorial for SABC journalist Suna Venter: 'We all giggled waiting for the utterances of the madman, but at least Suna lived to see the back of Hlaudi at the SABC'.

At the memorial service of the SABC journalist Suna Venter, media freedom fighters courageously spoke out about the ongoing tyranny at South Africa's public broadcaster and eloquently called for an ongoing focus and effort against censorship and oppression inside the SABC corridors where they say Hlaudi Motsoeneng enforcers remain.

Heavy caliber and staunch press and freedom of expression fighters in South Africa on Thursday afternoon used the hauntingly emotional memorial service of the SABC journalist Suna Venter who died a week ago from broken heart syndrome, to call for support for the ongoing fight for the soul of the SABC.

Media heavy weights called on the SABC that has done nothing so far about it, to launch an urgent investigation into the threats and attacks on the so-called SABC8 journalists who stood up against the SABC TV news censorship decree of the controversial and now fired former chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Refusing to go along, they were fired, harassed, threatened, went to court, were reinstated and the SABC's censorship order declared illegal by the broadcaster regulator.

On Thursday afternoon the SABC decided not to broadcast or live stream through its SABC News resources the late Thursday afternoon memorial service of one of its own held inside the SABC at the public broadcaster's M1 Studios at Auckland Park, leaving eNCA (DStv 403) as the only TV news channel providing a streaming TV feed.

While top-ranking SABC executives were notably absent, the broadcaster's acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana, dressed in pink, was spotted stoically sitting and listening among the gathered mourners.

The courageous SABC's economics editor Thandeka Gqubule, one of the SABC8, welcomed the now eNCA prime time anchor Vuyo Mvoko - also one of the SABC8 journalists and who got fired by the SABC - back to the public broadcaster.

"Welcome back to the SABC, Vuyo," she said.

"It looks and feels very weird that I'm back inside the SABC," he said. "It's weird that eNCA, a private broadcaster, is live streaming this event to South Africa, right from within the SABC."


SOS Coalition: SABC must investigate SABC8 threats
Duduetsang Makuse, national coordinator of the SOS Coalition, the large civil society public pressure group dedicated to proper public broadcasting in South Africa, spoke at Suna Venter's memorial and said that "wild scale injustice" continues to flourish at the SABC.

"The SABC has a lot to answer for. At the time that Suna received threats on her life, the SABC was dismissive and callous in its response".

"The SABC statement by spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago at the time noted: 'Our message is very clear that this is a matter for the police. If the police will not do what they must do, then this has nothing to do with the SABC."

"No member of the SABC8 has received a formal apology for the offensive response and the behaviour of the then SABC board and senior management," said Duduetsang Makuse.

"We are also not aware of anyone being held accountable for any of the threats that were made against the group. We know that Hlaudi Motsoeneng and his enforcers - even though he has left, are still in place at the SABC."

"We know that too many others are being threatened. Many other journalists and other members of society are fearful of speaking the truth."

"There must be an investigation into the threats against her and others of the SABC8, so many named and unnamed other media workers as well."

"It's absolutely imperative that one of the actions the new SABC board must take, is to investigate the SABC's complicity in the threats, and to ensure that those behind the harassment and intimidation are identified and held accountable," said Duduetsang Makuse.


'The fight is not over. Oppressors never give up.'
The veteran journalist and highly respected SABC interim board deputy chairperson Mathata Tsedu said "what Suna Venter and the rest of the SABC8 were faced with, is not a new fight. That they were able to come back to work doesn't mean that victory was attained".

"Freedom is never won. It's defended," he said.

"When I heard that Suna had died, I thought to myself: Did I do enough? Did we as a people do enough to defend this freedom that we have?"

"And I said to myself, I didn't. We were all giggling and waiting for the next unimaginable utterances of the madman Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Meanwhile this asset, the SABC, was going down - until Suna and the SABC8 said this far and no further, whatever the price is."

"They were able to come back. Many more were not able to come back here. They were paid off and told to bugger off," said Mathata Tsedu.

"If there is a lesson in all of this and in Suna Venter's life, it is that each one of us must understand that in this wheel of change that must happen in South Africa, in the change that must propel us forward, there is a piece in that wheel where only my shoulders plug in."

"The fight is not over. Oppressors never give up," said Mathata Tsedu. "Hlaudi Motsoeneng was trying to get into Nasrec two days ago, claiming to be an ANN7 (DStv 405) analyst. So they never give up."

"At least Suna Venter lived to see the back of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, here [at the SABC]. Even if we have failed in many other respects, there are things that we have put in place that all of us as a nation need to help propel forward."

"I hope Suna, little one, that wherever you are, in whatever has been said here, you are able to recognise yourself."


Editor's Forum: Too many silent as they giggled at Hlaudi
Mahlatse Gallens, chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef) said that "our hearts are broken that 23 years into democracy, we are fighting against censorship".

"It's exactly a year ago that we stood outside this very building, protesting against the tyranny that has befallen the SABC".

"The SABC is way too big and way too important to our democracy to fail. Suna forced those who decided to sit idly by and be complicit in the tyranny to finally do the right thing. Too many were silent as we struggled and they giggled as Hlaudi Motsoeneng was saying whatever stupid things he was saying," said Mahlatse Gallens.

"While those who thought that they could end independent journalism within the public broadcaster are slowly starting to be held to account, we know that the journey will be long, it will be hard, and it demands all of us to be Suna Venter."

Vuyo Mvoko said "to SABC journalists who have finally found their voices, it's never late. Thank you for doing whatever you could do. Keep standing up. Keep pushing back. It's the only way we can defend our hard-won freedoms."

SABC, 'limping from day to day', owes artists millions of rand in unpaid royalties; blames its financial crisis for its failure to pay.

The SABC owes singers and musicians millions of rand in unpaid royalties and more millions in residuals to actors, with the struggling public broadcaster on the brink of financial collapse, blaming its severe money woes for its failure to pay.

The SABC on Wednesday told parliament's Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that the SABC "is behind with royalty payments" and owes artists at least R75.4 million.

The SABC owes the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) R14.5 million, the SA Music Performance Rights Association (Sampra) R52.7 million, the Association of Independent Record Companies (ARIC) R2.8 million, the Composers Authors and Publishers Association (Capasso) R3 million and the Recording Industry of South Africa (Risa) R2.4 million.

The SABC didn't provide any numbers for the outstanding millions it owes actors and writers for residuals for the rebroadcasts and repeats of TV shows like Sgudi 'Snaysi on SABC1 and the library shows broadcast on its SABC Encore channel on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

The SABC told parliament that the last time it paid any royalties to artists was in December 2016 but didn't specify an amount, and blames the public broadcaster's cash-strapped status.

The SABC also failed to pay all artists, winners and contributors for the 2017 Metro FM Awards held months ago.

Bessie Tugwana, acting COO, blamed the SABC's non-payment of artists on a "struggle to get verified documentation so we could pay" and the SABC's "cash-flow problem". She told parliament that everyone will be paid at the end of May.

A year ago, in May 2016, SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago announced that the SABC will immediately increase the royalty tariff paid to artists for music content played on the SABC's 18 radio stations and TV channels from 3.2% to 4% - but nothing came of that, with the SABC unable to even pay the 3.2%.

The SABC referring to its situation as "dire" and saying it's "limping from day to day", told parliament on Wednesday that the "90% local content" decree for local music airplay on radio and "80% local content" on SABC TV ordered by the former chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng has destroyed the public broadcaster and is threatening the very existence of the SABC that doesn't have the money to pay for it.

New SABC interim deputy chairperson Mathatha Tshedu revealed that the SABC blew an additional R72 million on new local content to replace other local content no longer deemed suitable, for the 90% local content policy.

"We are looking at taking back detrimental consequences of some decisions. We are looking at the 90% which saw both the television and radio losing millions. It's implementation has to take cognisance of the fact that it mustn't threaten the existence of the SABC itself, which is what it is doing."

The SABC revealed that it wasted another R74 million in TV content it bought but never showed, marked as fruitless and wasteful expenditure.

The SABC, now struggling to pay staff and producers, further spent hundreds of millions of rand on irregular content buying, for instance R63 million in 2016/17 and R240 million in 2015/16.

Already owing them millions of rand in outstanding payments, last week the SABC told South African producers going forward that it only wants to pay them 25% monthly of the money they're due although they're expected to keep delivering 100% of the content the SABC requires to keep its TV channels on the air.

Communications minister Ayanda Dlodlo told parliament that "the dire state of the SABC wasn't brought to us voluntarily by executives. We had to dig".

Ayanda Dlodlo said the SABC's initial bailout request to treasury was inadequate. "It was like putting an Elastoplast on a wound instead of treating the wound".

After getting a bailout in the form of a R1.47 billion government-guaranteed Nedbank loan in 2009 during its previous bailout when the SABC teetered on the brink of collapse eight years ago, it's not yet known what amount in another government-guaranteed loan the SABC is seeking this time in its next bailout.

SABC COO Bessie Tugwana on why 7de Laan was moved to 6pm on SABC2: Now viewers 'can see it before anything else'.

The SABC told parliament it moved the popular Afrikaans soap 7de Laan on SABC2 to several different timeslots and now to 18:00 since this month so that now viewers can "see it before anything else" - despite the fact that millions of viewers are not home at that time to watch it.

Meanwhile TV executives are buzzing with several of them now openly wondering whether "the SABC is now trying to kill 7de Laan".

In the ongoing furore about SABC2's latest controversial schedule changes, the channel dumped the 7de Laan omnibus repeats on weekends three weeks ago without telling viewers in advance.

On Sunday afternoons 7de Laan lured around 1.1 million viewers - and its axing in terms of ratings is basically the same as if the SABC cancelled the soap Isidingo on SABC3 that gets 1.3 million viewers.

The SABC said viewers who have the luxury of the internet and broadband data can watch the show on YouTube.

Viewers also continue to blast the SABC for moving the Danie Odendaal Productions show to a new timeslot yet again after changing its timeslot just 7 months ago.

So far SABC2 has chosen to remain silent and ignore viewers' complaints, with the channel that isn't responding to any of the comments from the flood of viewers begging SABC2 to bring the 7de Laan Sunday omnibus back.

Ironically SABC2 channel head Gerhard Pretorius said on SABC2 at the beginning of February that the channel always listens to viewers and wants to hear from them.

On Tuesday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Veronica van Dyk in the sitting of the portfolio committee on communications asked the SABC why it moved 7de Laan to 18:00 and to explain why it's not considering viewers, why it removed the omnibus on Sundays. and how viewers are supposed to catch up who can't see it at 18:00.

The SABC's acting CEO James Aguma said he can't answer the question.

The SABC's current acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana said 7de Laan was scheduled at 18:30 "which we subsequently moved to 17:00 and now its sitting at 18:00".

"7de Laan for the past year, we realised that it was declining audiences," Bessie Tugwana told parliament.

She declined to mention that it was the SABC's moves that caused the 7de Laan ratings collapse since mid-2016. The show's monthly viewership erosion in -mid2016 started and continued when the SABC first decided to tamper with its timeslot.

"7de Laan is a pillar for SABC. It's a programme that's viewed by many people who speak Afrikaans, black or white or coloured. Therefore we protect it."

"So the move was not to kill it. The move was to protect it. So at 6pm currently, there isn't much aggressive competition, first. Secondly, there was a concern that it was not in prime time.That is not so. Prime time is defined as between 18:00 and 22:00," said Bessie Tugwana.

"So it's still at prime time. What we've done, its something that audiences see before anything else. In prime time at 18:00."

'We will constantly be vigilant in terms of how its performing," she said.

In America, the world's most advanced TV market, prime time is actually defined as starting at 19:00.

Bessie Tugwana didn't explain why SABC2 doesn't want a 7de Laan omnibus repeat on weekends and took it away from viewers on Sundays.


Is the SABC trying to kill 7de Laan?
TV insiders - channel executives and executive producers of shows at channels and programmes competing with the SABC, SABC2 and 7de Laan - are now openly and in amazement wondering what SABC2's plan is with 7de Laan and wondering out loud "if the SABC is trying to kill 7de Laan?"

"What is their strategy? Why on earth would they be doing something like this?" asked a longtime Afrikaans TV programming executive.

"Is the SABC trying to kill off 7de Laan?" wondered one executive attached to a weekday Afrikaans soap. "Why the bad treatment?"

Viewers are vocal in their unhappiness.

So where exactly do your viewers belong? On YouTube?" asks SABC2 viewer Margaret van Tonder. "I hope you are taking note of how many people are disappointed in you, SABC2!"

This 6pm timeslot is just not working out!" says Neofabulous Ramafoko. "We've just come home from work, sorting dinner out, getting kids to bath, etc. 1pm we are at work so we can't see the repeat. As if that isn't enough: no omnibus!"

"The SABC is taking its viewers for granted," said Roberta Maluleka.

Fired head of TV Verona Duwarkah on how fighting SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng caused her 'severe stress' as she was 'emotionally, physically and mentally devastated'.

The shocking labour court case between the SABC and its former head of TV Verona Duwarkah who was fired and replaced in July this year after a massive falling out with the controversial SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng, not only lifts the lid on how he traumatised her, but also how SABC TV viewership is plunging and how Hlaudi Motsoeneng usurped and is allegedly flouting content commissioning policy.

Meanwhile TV channels like SABC2 and SABC3 are floundering under the devastating new content commissioning regime Hlaudi Motsoeneng implemented earlier this year after sidelining Verona Duwarkah and which also led to her leaving the SABC.

The City Press and Sunday Times newspapers on Sunday both reveals details from Verona Duwarkah's shocking labour court case with the South African public broadcaster.

Verona Duwarkah was kicked out the door by the SABC after fighting and being traumatised by Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer (COO) - who is now the head of SABC's corporate affairs but remains in his same opulent 27th floor office.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng who in 2016 several times mentioned that the SABC has set aside a budget of R600 million to produce new TV content, has set up a "Special Projects" unit to essentially "take over" commissioning of new programming.

This new process especially favours new and inexperienced producers including TV stars with bad TV ideas now wanting to make television. Verona Duwarka fought against this, warning that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is flouting due diligence and processes and policy.

This Special Projects team at the SABC, according to City Press, is led by Jacqui Hlongwane, the SABC's SABC2 programming executive, and Danie Swart, the head of the SABC Education division.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the roped in SABC executives allegedly flouted not just the SABC's own commissioning policies but also that of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa).

In the shocking court case that she won in September, Verona Duwarkah - who had been at the SABC for 25 years before she was forced out - details her "severe stress" caused by constantly fighting with Hlaudi Motsoeneng behind the scenes.

After winning her court case against the SABC and Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Verona Duwarkah returned to the SABC in September, but after less than a week back at work got a termination of employment payout in the form of a golden handshade and left.

In the court papers, Verona Duwarkah revealed the fighting with the controversial SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng caused her to be "emotionally, physically and mentally devastated".

The SABC, through Mohlolo Lephaka as the SABC's head of human resources, in a responding affadavit, accused Verona Duwarkah of making "malicious" claims" and of taking too much sick leave and even wondering on court papers of "whether depression prevents one from working".

The SABC accused her of non-performance by not commissioning new TV shows quickly enough.

The SABC further slammed Verona Duwarkah in the court papers, saying her claims are "irrelevant, untrue, unfounded and unsubstantiated personal attacks" on Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Verona Duwarkah said "The final straw came when instructions were given to me by Hlaudi Motsoeneng that I had to execute and implement material changes in policy, despite the fact that these were not approved in accordance with the operating standards."

Verona Duwarkah reveals in the court papers how the SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng utterly humiliated her in front of other TV executives and how she repeatedly warned him to stop meddling in everything since it's causing dramatic revenue losses for the SABC as well as audience erosion.

The Sunday Times details Verona Duwarkah's revelations of how the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng wasted millions of rands at the SABC.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng ordered the broadcasting of sport events that doesn't have viewers, ordered her to dish out TV contracts of millions of rands to people whose bad ideas had been rejected, and ordered presenter line-up changes at awards shows broadcast by the SABC like The Metro FM Awards in January and The South African Music Awards in June at "vast additional costs".

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng hand-picked a select few producers and instructed me to ensure they were given contracts, even though some of their proposals had previously been rejected by the content team," says Verona Duwarkah in the labour court case papers.

Verona Duwarkah in court papers said Hlaudi Motsoeneng "started acting more erratic as time went on".

Despite the SABC's falling revenue and sagging viewership, Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been adamant to splurge on new content to boost local programming to 90% for the SABC's TV stations, starting with SABC3 at 80% where all of the newly rushed-to-air shows have been total rating flops and dragged SABC3 revenue and ratings down even further.

Meanwhile, out of the Request for Proposals (the so-called RFP book) that the SABC used to issue to producers detailing what content the SABC wants made for broadcast and which Hlaudi Motsoeneng did away with, it's revealed that the SABC only commissioned a paltry 57 of 1 426 proposals the public broadcaster got from the South African TV industry.

Meanwhile the SABC apparently has no current commissioning policy on its website for producers.

The SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) Bessie Tugwana who've been shuffled into several positions this year, told City Press in another report about SABC2 and SABC3's shocking ongoing viewership losses that the channels had been sliding for years.

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng's payday balloons to R4.19 million as struggling SABC posts yet another (and growing) loss of R411 million.

The SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng who now calls himself "an ordinary employee" has seen his astronomical salary balloon further to a massive R4.19 million, coming as the struggling broadcaster posted yet another loss of R411 million in the same week as top executives jetted off to the luxury Hilton Mauritius Resort and Spa.

The controversial SABC executive who the Public Protector found in her February 2014 report lied said he "should never have been appointed at the SABC" and who implicated him in several instances of maladministration and abuse of power, has now become the best-paid employee at the beleaguered SABC, increasing his salary from R3,78 million to a staggering R4.197 million during the 2015/2016 financial year.

The almost half a million increase comes after Hlaudi Motsoeneng's almost R1 million salary increase during the previous year, out-earning even president Jacob Zuma as the SABC continue to lurch from crisis to crisis, posing yet another and bigger loss and getting its 6th consecutive qualified audit for its annual financial results that paint a dire picture of the SABC’s finances and future.

Included in Hlaudi Motsoeneng's R4.19 million payday is a bonus of R213 000 – up from the previous year – as well as expenses and allowances of R945 000.

While Hlaudi Motsoeneng and acting CEO James Aguma keep saying "the SABC is sustainable", the SABC's cash balance plunged further and fell below the R1 billion threshold, now sitting at an alarming R881 million, as its losses increased from R395 million to R411 million by the end of March.

    2012/2013                    2013/2014                     2014/2015                     2015/2016

Net profit/loss:                  

R330 mil net profit        R358 mil net profit*       R395 million net loss     R411 mill net loss

Cash balance:                     

R1.07 billion                          R1.42 billion               R1.01 billion                          R881 million

Average TV share:             

       53%                                      48.6%                                53%                             48.8%

*Whether the SABC made this/a profit is doubtful since the Auditor-General (AG) issued a disclaimer, citing that the SABC during this period was particularly rife with financial mismanagement, inadequate financial controls and a lack of supporting documentation.

While the SABC spends million to gather SABC TV licence fees, the SABC's shocking financial report reveals that the South African public broadcaster keeps getting less money as collection fees "continue to decrease" with the majority of South Africans who simply don't bother or care to pay for a SABC TV licence.

The SABC more than doubled what it pays in consulting fees – now at a staggering R80 million – while material losses due to fruitless and wasteful expenditure increased from R58 million to R92 million. 

Lap of luxury in Mauritius

Meanwhile the SABC's failed to manage the optics with SABC executives Bessie Tugwana and Nomsa Philiso jetting off to Mauritius for a luxury conference in the same week as the SABC revealed its staggering R411 million loss.

On Tuesday last week, Hlaudi Motsoeneng who was just re-appointed as the SABC's head of corporate affairs was specifically asked at a press conference if he was still going to Mauritius.

Although he's no longer the SABC's chief operating officer (COO) – which is why he was invited to the NexTV CEO 2016 African TV Business leaders summit – Hlaudi Motsoeneng was adamant that he was definitely flying to Mauritius on Wednesday.

He was suddenly replaced by Bessie Tugwana and Nomsa Philiso on the Mauritius TV summit getaway with no explanation from the SABC.

It's not known how much the SABC is paying for the executives' island jaunt where South Africa's minister of communications Faith Muthambi is the keynote speaker on Africa's digitisation and future of TV in Africa.

The 5-star Hilton Mauritius Resort & Spa with luxurious sea-facing rooms describes itself as "the perfect location to mix business and pleasure".