SABC paying Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Ellen Tshabalala's legal fees by submitting claims to the SABC's insurance company.

It's come to light in parliament that the SABC is paying the large legal fees of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the public broadcaster's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) and the disgraced former chairwoman Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who lied about qualifications she doesn't have.

South Africa's minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, in response to questions by the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party, revealed that the SABC has been submitting claims to the public broadcaster's insurance company to pay for Ellen Zandile Tshabalala and Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng is mired in a protracted court battle over his appointment as COO and after the Public Protector's scathing report in February 2014 according to which he admitted in a recorded interview that he lied about having matric and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

The Public Protector's report implicated him in serious maladministration and several instances of abuse of power and found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng should "never have been appointed at the SABC" and that a disciplinary hearing should start immediately.

The SABC never did and the court case that  will now likely determine the powers of the Public Protector has now reached the Supreme Court of Appeals.

According to Gavin Davis, DA member of parliament and member of parliament's portfolio committee on communictions, the SABC paying Ellen Tshabalala and Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees means that taxpayers are funding their legal costs.

"It is now clear why EllenTshabalala was prepared to use every tactic her legal team could dream up to delay the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry, including a court interdict. She had been guaranteed a bottomless pit of public money to avoid justice for as long as possible. Ellen Tshabalala stated last year that her legal fees came to more than R1 million."

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng is appealing a high court judgment ordering the SABC to suspend and discipline him, as directed by the public protector, says Gavin Davis. "The exact cost of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees so far is not known, but it is likely to be in the region of R1.5 million - and counting".

"With the public paying his legal expenses, it is no wonder that he has vowed to take his case all the way to the constitutional court if his appeal fails."

"Not only is it morally unjustifiable for the public to pay Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Ellen Tshabalala's legal costs, there are serious question marks over the legality of the SABC's decision to indemnify them from paying."

"Both lied about their qualifications before they joined the SABC. This means they committed wrongdoing in their personal capacity; it cannot be said that they committed these acts in the course and scope of their employment. Indeed, the SABC should be taking action against Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Ellen Tshabalala, not funding their legal battles".

In April, Hlaudi Motsoeneng's lawyer, Zola Majavu, said that Hlaudi Motsoeneng had been paying his own legal fees in the case which had already run into millions of rands.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday morning.

TOTAL FAILURE: No-show SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabala found guilty for lying over fake qualifications; failed her courses badly.

The controversial and lying SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who today was a total no-show at the parliamentary inquiry into her lack of claimed qualifications about which she blatantly lied on her CV was found guilty of misrepresenting herself before parliament as well as of perjury.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications - after several attempts by Ellen Zandile Tshabala to stall the process including getting a court interdict which was overturned - finally heard what a total failure the SABC's chairperson was in her studies at Unisa and how she had failed her courses. Badly.

In a unanimous decision, parliament's portfolio committee on communications found Ellen Zandile Tshabalala guilty of misconduct for lying to parliament about her qualifications.

The committee will now, for a second time, ask the speaker of parliament in a memorandum to have Ellen Zandile Tshabalala removed as SABC chairperson.

Ellen Zandile Tshabala claimed to have had tertiary degrees: a B.Comm from Unisa as well as a diploma in labour relations when she was appointed as the new SABC chairperson at the end of last year.

In fact the lying Ellen Zandile Tshabala had neither. 

Today in parliament Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was a total no-show, refusing to show up for the parliamentary inquiry into her bogus qualifications which she had stalled for 5 months already. 

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's legal representative, Michael Tillney, said Ellen Zandile Tshabalala would not be at the parliamentary inquiry because she claims "procedural unfairness".

Joyce Moloi-Moropa, the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications said the committee had already "bent over backwards" for Ellen Zandile Tshabalala and her multiple, ongoing requests for postponements.

"We recommend the removal of Ellen Zandile Tshabalala from the SABC board as the chairperson and as a board member," Joyce Moloi-Moropa said.

Parliament on Wednesday heard what a total academic failure Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was.

Jan van Wyk, Unisa's executive director for legal services, could finally speak after having flown to Cape Town multiple times the past months only for the inquiry to be adjourned and postponed.

Jan van Wyk revealed to parliament that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala failed two modules during her academic year, and did not write two.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala scored only 13% for her human resources module and only 35% for her module in labour relations.

Unisa wrote to Ellen Zandile Tshabalala telling her will not qualify to redo the course because she didn't write all the modules and failed the others badly.

"What it says is when this [scores] came out you did so poorly you will not be allowed to be readmitted again," Jan van Wyk told parliament.

The Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS Coalition),  a broad-based civil society pressure group representing a vast group of stakeholders concerned about public broadcasting in South Africa, says it's "deeply disappointed" in Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, "heartily welcomes" today's finding, and demands that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala "pay back all fees that were accrued in her role as SABC chairperson".

"We are deeply disappointed by, and take no satisfaction in Ellen Zandile Tshabalala dragging this process to the extent where she has been so publicly humiliated - most especially after our repeated calls for her to do the honourable thing and resign".

"We further call on the president of South Africa and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to initiate a criminal investigation into her contravention of the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act," says the SOS Coalition. 

"It is vital that the president moves to suspend Ellen Zandile Tshabalala without delay," says Gavin Davis, the Democratic Alliance political party's shadow minister of communications in a statement.

"The longer Ellen Zandile Tshabalala stays in office, the more likely it is that she will take decisions that will adversely affect the SABC."

"Her recent decision to give Hlaudi Motsoeneng the pwers of SABC CEO is an example of the damage she is capable of doing at the SABC," says Gavin Davis.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, responding to a media enquiry seeking comment on Wednesday afternoon over Ellen Zandile Tshabalala. tells TV with Thinus "we are not commenting on this matter".

The news story was covered on all of the TV news channels - eNCA (DStv 403), SABC News (DStv 404) and ANN7 (DStv 405).

The SABC surprised with a very good, fully comprehensive, very objective and balanced report, filed by SABC reporter Zalene Merrington from parliament which was broadcast on the SABC's terrestrial TV news bulletins, as well as on the SABC News TV channel during primetime.

SABC's lying chairwoman Ellen Zandile Tshabalala extends matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng's reign with SABC CEO duties until end of 2014.

The SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has extended the South African public broadcaster's famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng's reign as acting SABC CEO until the end of 2014.

"Authority is hereby given to the chief operations officer to undertake the duties and functions of the group chief executive officer (CEO) with effect from 22 November 2014 to 31 December 2014," says the letter Ellen Zandile Tshabalala signed.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says "Hlaudi Motsoeneng has not been appointed as the CEO".

"We are just following what the memorandum of incorporation says. It says that when the CEO is not available for one reason or the other the powers of the CEO are then delegated to the COO."

The highly controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC earlier this year, a unilateral move by the SABC which is the crux of at least two pending court cases.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala appointed Hlaudi Motsoeneng as acting CEO since the acting CEO Anton Heunis is ill.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala first appointed Hlaudi Motsoeneng as acting CEO of the SABC earlier this month for 9 days.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied about her qualifications to parliament in her CV - alleging to have a B.Com degree and a diploma in business management from Unisa which the university says she don't have because she failed some courses and dropped out and didn't complete some courses.

Parliament makes a second call for the immediate suspension of the lying SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications - the parliamentary committee responsible for oversight of the SABC - has now asked for a second time for the immediate suspension of the SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who was exposed for faking tertiary qualifications on her CV she doesn't have.

The lying Ellen Zandile Tshabalala tried to stall a parliamentary inquiry from proceeding by obstructing it with what proved to be futile court action after she was exposed for claiming to have tertiary qualifications which UNISA says she doesn't have, for management course the university says she failed to complete.

The Western Cape High Court rejected Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's shameful court bid to halt the parliamentary inquiry.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has so far flat out refused and has been unable and unwilling to answer the very simply question of why she claimed to have to certain qualifications she doesn't have, and why she isn't proving certificates and proof of the qualifications she stated on her CV last year.

She said she had a BComm degree from UNISA and a diploma in labour relations. UNISA says she dropped out and never completed any of it

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications has now again written a memorandum to the speaker of the national assembly for a second time, asking for the immediate suspension of Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who was permanently appointed to the position at the beleaguered SABC a year ago.

"This follows a second unanimous agreement among committee members that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala be suspended pending the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry on 3 December," says Gavin Davis, the Democratic Alliance MP in a statement.

"The committee believes that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's suspension is crucial given the various delaying tactics she has employed to stall the inquiry. What should have been a quick process has been dragged out for far too long. Already, there are indications that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's legal team is pushing for another postponement."

Gavin Davis says Ellen Zandile Tshabalala "cannot possibly focus on the mammoth task of turning the SABC around with such serious charges hanging over her" and that she "may be tempted to use the power of her office to assist her in her legal battle".

"We saw last week that she delegated the authority of CEO to Hlaudi Motsoeneng [the SABC's famously matricless and controversial chief operating officer] despite a court ruling that he must be suspended and disciplined."

"Giving an equally compromised ally power over the budget and administration of the SABC can only assist her, to the detriment of the SABC."

"We are vindicated. What it means for us is that we can proceed with our work," says Joyce Moloi-Moropa, the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

Defiant and embattled SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala vehemently denies bedding Jacob Zuma and being the president's 'nyatsi'.

Sordid news and scandal keeps swirling around the beleaguered SABC's chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala and its famously matricless and supposed-to-be-suspended TV tsar Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala is now vehemently denying long-running industry gossip which finally made it into print in Sunday's Sunday Sun tabloid: that the recalcitrant chairperson who've been caught out lying about fake tertiary qualifications that she doesn't have, had been bedding president Jacob Zuma as a sex-on-the-side lover.

No other South African broadcaster's top brass is as constantly crass tabloid fodder as the people supposed to run the SABC, indicative of the way the country's TV and media industry perceives the wayward and scandalously out of control executives "running" the embattled public broadcaster.

On Sunday the Sunday Sun splashed sensational "revelations" which had been small talk in the TV biz for months, citing unnamed sources calling Ellen Zandile Tshabalala president Jacob Zuma's "nyatsi (or mistress) and his "pet by night".

The Sunday Sun's unnamed sources claimed that the affair between Ellen Zandile Tshabalala and president Jacob Zuma who already has several wives is "a well-known secret".

In a statement Ellen Zandile Tshabalala released on Monday evening through the SABC's PR office, calling the article "a violent attack" on her, saying that "it is also an onslaught on the public broadcaster that I chair".

"I want to put it categorically that this has no basis in fact, and it is meant to hurt, undermine me, the SABC, as well as the office of the presidency".

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who has close ties with president Jacob Zuma blasts print media in her statement, saying the Sunday Sun story "characterises how the print media will stoop to such low levels to misinform and misrepresent facts".

However, Ellen Zandile Tshabalala in her statement says nothing about how the SABC misinform and misrepresent facts, blatantly censors the news and decided to not broadcast live last week's controversial Nkandla debate in parliament while other TV channels like eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405) did.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala also says nothing about misinforming and misrepresenting herself and her bogus qualifications before parliament's portfolio committee on communications at the end of last year when she applied to be chairperson of the SABC with made up UNISA qualifications which the university says she doesn't have for courses the institution says she never completed.

In her statement Ellen Zandile Tshabalala says "it is clear that this has become a personal attack on me, and that there is another agenda that seeks to derail me from executing my duties as chairperson of the SABC".

BREAKING. Matricless and 'suspended' Hlaudi Motsoeneng suddenly appointed as CEO of the SABC for 9 days by Ellen Tshabalala.

The famously matricless, highly controversial and high court ordered "suspended" chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC Hlaudi Motsoeneng has now been appointed as the acting chief operating officer (CEO) of the SABC by none other than the recalcitrant Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, SABC chairperson, who've been exposed as lying about bogus tertiary qualifications she doesn't have and who ran to court to try and obstruct a parliamentary inquiry about her fake qualifications.

The Sunday Times reports that the controversial Ellen Zandile Tshabala - who've refused to step down as SABC chairperson after she was exposed for claiming to have qualifications for tertiary studies at UNISA the university says she never completed - has now appointed Hlaudi Motsoeneng as CEO at the beleaguered SABC.

The Public Protector in February in a scathing report found that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC" and ordered him suspended.

Failure by the SABC executive and SABC board to do so and to comply with the findings of the Public Protector's report - which also found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a recorded interview admitted to lying about having a matric and "made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce" as well as multiple other transgressions and implicating him in corruption and maladministration - saw the case being taken to the Western Cape High Court.

The Western Cape High Court also ordered Hlaudi Motsoeneng to be "suspended immediately" and for the SABC to start a disciplinary hearing against Hlaudi Motsoeneng. Hlaudi Motsoeneng decided to appeal the high court ruling.

Now as ongoing scandal is swirling around Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who has close ties with president Jacob Zuma, handed the scandal-riddled Hlaudi Motsoeneng - also with close ties to president Jacob Zuma - the reigns of the SABC as acting CEO for 9 days.

In a letter Ellen Zandile Tshabalala grants Hlaudi Motsoeneng the authority to "undertake the duties and functions of the group chief executive officer with effect from 13 November 2014 to 22 November 2014".

The acting SABC CEO, Anton Heunis, is ill.

"The fact is that neither Ellen Zandile Tshabalala nor Hlaudi Motsoeneng should be in office making decisions that affect the future of the SABC," says Gavin Davis, the Democratic Alliance's shadow minister of communications in a press statement.

"Yet they now appear to be consolidating their grip on the public broadcaster."

"Now that he has the power of the CEO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng is in charge of the administration of the SABC, including budgets and senior appointments. The CEO is also the editor-in-chief, which means that Hlaudi Motsoeneng now has the power to make editorial decisions."

"Ellen Zandile Tshabalala needs as many powerful allies as she can muster to survive the qualifications scandal she is engulfed in." Gavin Davis says "she should not be in a position to abuse her power in a way that advantages her".

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng clearly has a hold over Ellen Tshabalala, which is problematic given that it is the SABC board chairperson who must execute the court order to suspend him and hold a disciplinary hearing."

BREAKING. SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lodges urgent court interdict to try and stop the public inquiry into her apparently fake qualifications.

The SABC's controversial chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who refuses to provide proof of her claimed so-called tertiary qualifications which Unisa says doesn't exist is now going to court in a shocking attempt to try and stop the parliamentary inquiry into her non-existent qualifications.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala is mired in a growing and highly embarrassing spectacle which is not just damaging her reputation but also the image of the already battered South African public broadcaster.

Last week she yet again delayed a public parliamentary inquiry into her qualifications, and now the SABC chairperson has decided to go to court to try and stop the inquiry, according to Sapa.

Ellen Zandile Tshababala's lawyers lodged an urgent interdict with the Western Cape High Court to stop the parliamentary process which seeks to suspend her for her months' long inability to produce any proof of the tertiary qualifications.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala claimed to have a B.Com degree and a diploma in labour management from Unisa when she applied to parliament to become SABC chairperson at the end of last year.

She was permanently appointed as SABC chairperson in September 2013.

The court will decide today whether or not to grant the urgent interdict. Ellen Zandile Tshabalala is supposed to appear before the parliamentary enquiry again later today.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications already resolved in September to suspend Ellen Zandile Tshabalala after the recalcitrant SABC chairperson asked, and were given, multiple extensions to produce certificates she claims was "stolen" but which would take less than four hours to verify with the National Qualifications Register.

Public embarrassment as SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala wants parliament's inquiry into her to be postponed yet again.

The SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala remains mired in public embarrassment as she tried yet again, for yet another time, on Tuesday to try and delay parliament's inquiry into her apparently bogus claims of UNISA qualifications she had been exposed months ago for not having.

On Tuesday Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's advocate Norman Arendse asked parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the committee tasked with oversight of the SABC, to postpone the inquiry.

A UNISA representative was sitting ready in parliament, ready to testify to Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's lack of qualifications at UNISA.

It was yet another postponement request by Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who refuses to provide any proof that she has a B.Com and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations which UNISA says she doesn't have.

The committee already granted several postponements and extensions to the controversial chairperson who've raked in hundreds of thousands of rands in multiple SABC board meetings since her appointment late last year, and who has been a staunch defender of the SABC's equally controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Members of parliament are furious with Ellen Zandile Tshabalala blasting her for her "delaying tactics".

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has tried to wiggle her way out of providing answers and responding to calls regarding her non-existing UNISA qualifications for months since it was exposed that UNISA has no record of her obtaining the qualifications she claimed.

"There's one thing we want. If you have those qualifications, why must we postpone to another day," asked ANC MP Maesela Kekana today in parliament. "We are tired of these people who make this beautiful republic to be a banana republic."

Economic Freedom Fighters MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi told Ellen Zandile Tshabalala: "We are inquiring a simple thing. Do you or do you not have the qualifications? Don't waste our time. Answer the question."

"It was clear from the outset that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala had no intention of using the inquiry to clear her name today," said Democratic Alliance MP Gavin Davis.

"Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has a very simple question to answer: did she lie about her qualifications or not? If she did not, all she needs to do is produce evidence of her qualifications, as she has repeatedly been asked to do".

"We believe Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has been given ample time - three weeks - to prepare for it and there is therefore no reason for the delay. We will continue to participate in the process to ensure that justice is done in this matter," says Gavin Davis.

People who lie on their CV to parliament can be found guilty of perjury and could face criminal conviction.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala swore before a commissioner of oaths that her qualifications were stolen during a burglary more than 10 years ago - yet lost and stolen qualifications can be verified by tertiary education institutions who hold the original records.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala also told outh Africa's parliament's National Assembly and parliament's communications portfolio committee that she had these qualifications when she applied to become SABC chairperson.

SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala in for a grilling today as parliament starts an inquiry into her claimed qualifications.

The SABC's lying chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who after months failed to produce any proof of the tertiary qualifications she claimed to have had, is in for a grilling today as parliament's portfolio committee on communications, tasked with oversight of the SABC, starts an inquiry into her conduct.

The controversial Ellen Zandile Tshabalala with ties to close ties to president Jacob Zuma and who is ironically also serving as a director on the board of the Moral Regeneration Movement, has not been suspended nor voluntary stepped down or resigned and has presided since the end of 2013 over a beleaguered South African public broadcaster which continues to be lurching from one crisis to the next, riddled in mismanagement.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, according to the SABC's latest annual report of 2013/2014, was paid R936 000 for presiding over a staggering 34 SABC board meetings and attending 36 SABC board committee meetings – getting paid R13 371 per meeting.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala offered no proof of having the B.Com degree and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations from Unisa she claimed to have had - indeed Unisa says the university has no record of her having such qualifications.

People who lie on their CV to parliament can be found guilty of perjury and could face criminal conviction.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala allegedly lied before a commissioner of oaths that her qualifications were stolen during a burglary more than 10 years ago.

Then Ellen Zandile Tshabalala allegedly also lied to South Africa's parliament's National Assembly and parliament's communications portfolio committee that she had these qualifications when she applied to become SABC chairperson.

BREAKING. SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala fails to provide proof of her qualifications, certificates; now investigated by parliament.

SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who lied about her tertiary qualifications - just like the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng - has failed to provide any proof of her qualifications and certificates and parliament is now going to investigate her.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala will most likely be suspended as SABC chairperson - the next SABC chairperson in a revolving door of gonners over the past half a decade - once the investigation into her (non-existent) qualifications starts.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who is now mired in problems regarding her own qualifications or absence of it, has been a staunch defender of Hlaudi Motsoeneng and his lack of qualifications.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was appointed as permanent SABC chairperson in September 2013 after having served six months prior to that as the acting SABC chairperson when the SABC board imploded.

In February South Africa's Public Protector in a scathing report said that Hlaudi Motsoeneng who in a recorded interview admitted that the lied about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce "should never have been appointed at the SABC".

In July the City Press newspaper in its front page story and Rapport revealed that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's claimed qualifications are fake.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala falsified claims before parliament in her CV that she had a M.Com degree from the University of South African (Unisa) and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations.

Unisa said that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala had neither of these qualifications and denied that she holds these qualifications.

"According to our records, no qualification was awarded to the mentioned individual," Unisa told the newspapers.

It means that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied to South Africa's parliament since these qualifications are what she indicated to parliament she had and which formed part of the basis why she was appointed to serve on the SABC board.

It's not clear why parliament's portfolio committee on communications didn't check and verify Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's claimed qualifications when she applied for the position and why parliament's portfolio committee failed to vet the details of her CV.

It's also not clear whether it's only Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's CV which parliament clearly failed to verify at the time, or if none of the prospective SABC board members' CV's are ever checked for accuracy and vetted against stated qualifications and prior experience.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications gave Ellen Zandile Tshabalala initially until 11 August to provide proof of her qualifications and certificates which she claimed to hold when she applied for the position of SABC chairperson.

She then said she couldn't do it by that date and parliament gave her an extension until 26 August. Ellen Zandile Tshabalala again failed to provide the necessary proof of her qualifications and certificates to parliament.

Today, 9 September, Ellen Zandile Tshabala informed parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the oversight body of the SABC, that she is still trying to locate her certificates.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications will now invoke Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act and constitute an inquiry into whether Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied or has the qualifications which she claimed. if she doesn't she will be removed as SABC chairperson.

"There is strong prima facie evidence that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala lied to parliament about her qualifications during the application process," says the Democratic Alliance political party in a statement today.

"In the CV submitted t o parliament, Ellen Zandile Tshabalala claimed to have a B.Com and diploma in labour relations from Unisa. A letter from Unisa's legal department indicates that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has neither a degree nor diploma from Unisa," says the DA.

"The chairperson of the SABC board, as the custodian of public broadcasting in South Africa, needs to be held to the highest standards of ethics and accountability".

SABC SCANDAL: MORE FRAUD & LIES: SABC chair Ellen Zandile Tshabala lied about qualifications she doesn't have - reports.

Not just the SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng had lied and committed fraud regarding his qualifications, but the SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has now also been exposed as a liar and having lied to parliament about qualifications she doesn't have, according to reports.

City Press and Raport reported on Sunday that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala falsified claims before parliament in her CV that had a M.Com degree from the University of South African (Unisa) and a postgraduate diploma in labour relations.

Unisa says Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has neither of these qualifications and denies that she holds these qualifications.

"According to our records, no qualification was awarded to the mentioned individual," Unisa told the newspapers.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala didn't respond to requests seeking comment from the newspapers.

These qualifications is what she indicated to parliament she had and which forms part of the basis why she was appointed to serve on the SABC board.

President Jacob Zuma repeated the qualifications in his statement when Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was appointed to serve as chairperson of the SABC board.

TV with Thinus asked the SABC whether the public broadcaster can verify that the SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala holds a B.Com degree from Unisa as well as a diploma in business relations, and whether the SABC has any comment or response regarding the issue of Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's qualifications.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago says "no comment" and that the process of appointing SABC board members is done by parliament".

The highly controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng was this week permanently appointed as chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC without the position having ever been advertised. His appointment led to universal condemnation and criticism from all quarters of South Africa.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng is on record in a recorded interview with the Public Protector admitting that he lied about having a matric and admitting that he falsified symbols for a certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

In February the Public Protector's scathing report on which the SABC and the SABC has failed to act months later, it states that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".

SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala on Hlaudi's permanent appointment: 'If you change something for good, you will attract negativity'.

In a non-sensical and confusing rebuttal on the SABC, the SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala went on public television today defending the ridiculous, shocking and scandalous permanent appointment of the famously matricless and controversal Hlaudi Motsoeneng in the position of chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC.

There's swift and widespread condemnation and shock over the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, embroiled in multiple maladministration charges in a scathing report from South Africa's Public Protector released earlier this year which stated that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".

The position was not advertised and has suddenly been been given to Hlaudi Motsoeneng after a seven to five vote by the SABC board after Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been acting in the position for two and a half years.

The previous time the position was advertised in January 2012, it listed as a requirement tertiary qualifications which Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't have.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't have a matric certificate and in a recorded interview with the Public Protector admitted that he lied that he had one, and that he made up symbols for a certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

On SABC News on the SABC's flagship news show on SABC3 on Wednesday evening Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told reporter Chriselda Lewis in a non-sensical quote for television that ""I believe that if you're changing anything, you're not going to make friends. If you change something for the good you will attract negativity".

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told SABC News that "the two other SABC positions have been advertised - CEO and CFO and it's a different situation with Hlaudi Motsoeneng who has acted much above the term of acting position as far as it's laid down by the law".

The Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, in an interview on Wednesday evening on eNCA (DStv 403) said Hlaudi Motsoeneng "lied to the SABC about having a matric certificate" and "that Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't have those qualifications. One of them was a tertiary degree which he doesn't have".

Thuli Madonsela told eNCA that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala was supposed to give the Public Protector's office an implementation plan of what the SABC is going to do about the Hlaudi Motsoeneng situation.

"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".

Public Protector on SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng appointment scandal: 'He lied to the SABC and he doesn't have qualifications'.

South Africa's Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says the SABC's matricless and highly controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng who has been permanently appointed as chief operating officer (COO) by the SABC is not qualified for the position, lied, and that Hlaudi Motsoeneng admitting to lying is on a recorded interview she has.

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.

BREAKING. Hlaudi Motsoeneng's SABC cow is pregnant. Luckily the SABC has now implemented an asset tracking system.

You're reading it here first. 

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's SABC cow is pregnant.

The SABC's controversial and famously matricless acting chief operating officer was gifted a cow and a calf last month by a Venda community which stirred up national headlines when it appeared that Hlaudi Motsoeneng was also "gifted" a woman - something which the Venda community denied two weeks later in a bizarre press conference at the SABC.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, SABC chairperson, revealed on Friday to parliament that the cow is now pregnant.

She told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that regarding the disclosure of business interest that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng has disclosed the cow that he got from Venda".

"I thought I'll have an investment because the cow is pregnant and then I was gunning for the little calf," said Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.

Tian Olivier, the acting SABC CEO told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that the SABC has "implemented an asset tracking system that's part of the clean-up of the audit" of the SABC.

"Most of our assets have been tagged with a metal barcode. We have scanned them, we have recorded them in which office they are. So now on a regular basis we can go back and clean up on those assets if they move".

SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala tells parliament that SABC workers love the SABC so much they actually work 24 hours a day.

You're reading it here first.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, SABC chairperson, says SABC workers are so committed and love the SABC so much that they work there for 24 hours per day.

Oh, and all the talk about the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) is nonsense. Lots of people don't have a matric.

"At SABC there's lot of talk about matric," Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told parliament's portfolio committee for communications on Friday.

"There's lots of people who don't have matric. But SABC has never switched off a single day. SABC is working because people are commited. They come there to work. They actually work 24 hours. People are working over hours for the love of SABC".

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told parliament that there's no reason to fire the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng despite the Public Protector's scathing report about him released earlier this year.

SABC chairperson Zandile Tshabalala tells parliament: There's no reason for the SABC to fire the matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told parliament's portfolio committee on Friday evening that the SABC and the SABC board sees no reason to suspend or fire the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng who is implicated in serious maladministration as acting chief operating officer (COO) and lied on record about his qualifications.

The Public Protector in a final and scathing report on the SABC and Hlaudi Motsoeneng found that:

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng "admitted, during his recorded interview, that he had falsified his matric qualifications".

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng "should never have been appointed" at the SABC.

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng was involved in 3 "irregular" salary increases from R1,5 milion per year to R2,4 million in a single year.

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng got 3 "irregular" salary increases from R1,5 milion per year to R2,4 million in a single year.

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng shows "a lack of ethical conduct".

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng irregularly and rapidly increased the salaries of various staff members, resulting in the SABC's salary bill escalating by R29 million more than it should have.

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng was "directly involved with the termination of the employment of Bernard Koma, Hosia Jiyane, Sello Thulo, Montlenyane Diphoko, Mapule Mbatathi and Ntswoaki Ramaphosa who participated in Hlaudi Motsoeneng's disciplinary hearing held in Bloemfontein".

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng did "gross fraudulent misrepresentation of facts by declaring himself to be in possession of a matric certificate obtained at Metsimantsho High" in QwaQwa, and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he couldn't produce.

■ The Public Protector's final report asked that the SABC remove Hlaudi Motsoeneng by 18 May - a date which has long since lapsed.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told parliament's portfolio committee on communications on Friday that "we [SABC board] don't have a basis for suspension because in our case he performs. He has even gone to a role which isn't his role of raising funding for the SABC".

The Public Protector's final report asked that the SABC remove Hlaudi Motsoeneng by 28 May - a date which has long since lapsed.

"If the Public Protector produces any suspicious information about any individual or business, it doesn't necessary mean it's Bible," said Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.

BREAKING. SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabala warns SABC journalists and editors that National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is listening in to their phones.

The SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has reportedly warn SABC journalists and editors that their phones are being tapped, minotored and listened to by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and that the SABC's editors and journalists should therefore be careful about leaking SABC information, as well as be careful about who they're talking to.

It's the third embarrassing public gaff by Ellen Zandile Tshabala since her appointment as SABC chairperson, making outlandish, outrageous, extreme, and downright wrong claims and statements which afterwards are spinned as "being taken out of context".

- Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's first embarrassing OOPS! Blames Apartheid era tests for SABC's lack of skills.
- Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's second embarrassing OOPS! : Asks voters to vote for the ANC.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala's ongoing outrageous claims and statements are similar to the SABC's enfant terrible, the famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng - for whom Ellen Zandile Tshabalala has been covering.

According to a report in the Mail & Guardian newspaper, Ellen Zandile Tshabalala warned SABC journalists and editors that they should stop leaking information and information about the SABC, because the SABC is what is known as a "National Keypoint".

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala reportedly warned SABC editors and journalists that they should stop leaking information about the SABC because they are being spied on and their phones being listened to by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA).

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala reportedly warned SABC editors and journalists to respect the ruling party, meaning the ANC.

Several SABC news staff independently confirmed and corroborated the same version of events and what was said by Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.

TV with Thinus asked the SABC if the broadcaster can confirm that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told SABC personnel that the SABC is a national keypoint.

The SABC says "no we cannot confirm that".

The SABC was asked if it can confirm that Ellen Zandile Tshabalala told SABc personnel that their phones are being listened to by the National Intelligence Agency. The SABC says "no we cannot confirm that".

BREAKING. SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala must resign immediately after her public, party political canvassing, says SOS Coalition.

Civil society is calling for the immediate removal of the SABC chairperson Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who've publicly turned party political this past long weekend when she told residents of KwaMashu at a house hand-over ceremony to vote for the ANC and that too many political parties in South Africa are confusing.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala who became SABC chairperson last year and was/is an advisor to president Jacob Zuma on black economic empowerment, embarrassed herself and the SABC during a television interview on the SABC in February.

Ellen Zandile Tshabalala, blamed apartheid and apartheid era tests for the shocking lack of skills at the SABC revealed in an independent skills audit conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Ellen Zandile Tshabalala also ripped South Africa's print media, saying "people in this country vilify the SABC" because the SABC is "competition number one".

As chairperson of the board, a month has passed with no word from the SABC board on what it has done regarding the PwC skills audit report, and no suspensions or clear action which has been taken over the Public Protector's shocking report into maladministration, abuse of power, irregular appointments and firings at the SABC.

Implicated is the SABC's famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng who is still in his job, has not been suspended, and who has the backing of Ellen Zandile Tshabalala.

In a recorded interview Hlaudi Motsoeneng admitted to the Public Protector that he lied about having a matric, and made up symbols for a matric certificate he knew he could never produce. The Public Protector said Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC, and implicated him directly in the dismissal of all the SABC personnel who testified against him during a disciplinary hearing.

The SOS: Support Public Broadcasting Coalition, a broad-based civil society pressure group representing the South African broadcasting industry, academics, TV production sector organisations, independent unions and institutes, is calling for Ellen Zandile Tshabalala to be removed after publicly doing political canvassing for the ruling party.

The SABC board, SABC executives and journalists are supposed to be apolitical publicly at the public broadcaster which critics and commentators fear have become a state broadcaster doing the ANC political party's bidding.

"Ellen Zandile Tshababala has crossed an important boundary of safeguarding the independence of our public broadcaster," says the SOS Coalition.

"The SABC must be left alone and allowed to confine itself to doing its job which is to educate and and inform us without bias , without fear and favour," says the SOS Coalition.

The SOS Coalition says Ellen Zandile Tshabalala needs to resign because of "her controversial support, and refusal to suspend the SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng despite very serious allegations of corruption and fraud" and her refusal to move ahead and implement the recommendations of the Public Protector's report.

"Her proposal to take over as acting CEO of the SABC flies in the face of basic principles of good corporate governance," says the SOS Coalition.

The SOS Coalition says Ellen Zandile Tshabalala needs to go and that the SABC board needs to "publicly distance itself from any form of electioneering" before May's general elections in South Africa.

"The SABC board must once and for all publicly reject the outrageous call for '70% good news'," says the SOS Coalition - another hapless and misguided edict ordered by Hlaudi Motsoeneng.