The SABC's water is cholera free and its hair salon is popular with e.tv staffers: The fascinating - and sometimes funny - details from the SABC's latest annual report.

The only light coming from the SABC's latest 2015/16 financial report and its R411 million loss is that it's safely disposing of its flourescent lights that contain hazardous chemicals and mercury vapor.

That's little comfort to SABC staff and the public who are recoiling at its latest set of dismal results that saw the SABC's financial position worsen further, posting it's 6th consecutive qualified audit with another growing loss as its cash balance plunged precipitously below the R1 billion mark to R881 million.

While the SABC's financial report describes its controversial executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng as someone who has been "proven to be a leader of note", the reality is that Hlaudi Motsoeneng – whose salary ballooned further from R3.7 to R4.19 million – oversaw a period in which the SABC slid further back as the beleaguered SABC continues to lurch from crisis tot crisis.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng is now the best-paid single individual at the SABC.

The now-fired head of TV Verona Duwarkah pocketed R2.69 million, and the now-axed CEO Frans Matlala got R3.6 million for 9 months. 

The SABC report only states that he was placed on suspension and doesn't say why. James Aguma, chief financial officer, and now acting CEO, earned R3.62 million.

SABC chairperson Obert Maguvhe pocketed R637 000 – more than the R537 000 the disgraced former chairperson Ellen Tshabalala got in the previous financial year.

SABC audience share falls again, down to 48.8%

While the SABC's TV channels SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 attract audiences of 28.8 million, 26.9 million and 21 million viewers per week, the reality is that the SABC's average audience share fell yet again to 48.8%.

That's down from 57% in 2011/2012 and 53% in 2012/2013.

The SABC admits that it missed its target of 52% and blames "increased competition and changing audience content consumption patterns" for its falling share.

In radio the SABC radio stations managed an adult (listeners older than 15) audience share of only 69.9%, meaning that almost a third of people who can listen to one of the SABC’s radio stations don't want to.

The financial report interestingly doesn't cover the latest period during which Hlaudi Motsoeneng haphazardly introduced a 90% quota for local music needletime on its radio stations and a barrage of failed local TV content that saw viewers flee. 

This will still  negatively impact on both TV audience share and advertising income, the impact of which will only become evident in the 2016/2017 financials.

In the latest report, the SABC admits further that its "SABC online websites did not fare as expected and delivered an 11% year-on-year growth rate in page views" far below the 15% target and blames social media like Facebook and Twitter.

The auditor-general (AG) slammed the SABC for not having "adequate document management systems in place to identify irregular expenditure" and that the SABC "incurred expenditure in vain, which could have been avoided had reasonable care been exercised that were not included in fruitless and wasteful expenditure".

The SABC admits that "high levels of fee payment evasion by SABC licence holders" continues. As the SABC continues to spend millions to try and gather SABC TV licence income, the income from SABC TV licence collection fees continue to go down.

While the SABC struggles and blames expensive international sports rights, having to cover events of national importance it apparently can't budget for, and investments in technology to switch out analogue equipment for the loss, its already indicated that it plans to create and broadcast even more TV and radio channels in future while its having problems scheduling content on its existing channels that attract audiences.

A 1 001 direct complaints

The SABC's latest 143 page financial report is once again filled with interesting, and some unintentionally funny, nuggets.

The first factual lies occurs on page 11 where the SABC says its SABC News channel on MultiChoice's DStv channel 404 "broadcasts mainly in English,with African-language bulletins provided during the evening slots". 

The fact is the SABC canned all the bulletins in vernacular languages in this channel during the reporting period.

The SABC reports that when it conducted evacuation drills at its Auckland Park headquarters, "no injuries or fatalities were reported".

While the SABC says in its report that the tap water in buildings was tested monthly and found "algae and cholera free", it bisarrely pays Freshy Water to supply the SABC with "premium-quality drinking water".

Actress Michelle Botes left the SABC3 soap Isidingo in 2014 but the SABC still includes a publicity image of her character Cherel in its financial report with Barker Haines.

The SABC touts its SABC Beauty Salon, popular under "the production crew of Generations and Ashes to Ashes" (an e.tv drama).

The SABC got 1 001 direct complaints, mostly related to SABC TV licences and people angry over SABC scheduling.

The SABC did "noise, air and light surveys". It is addressing waste management and is addressing the removal of "hazardous chemicals, which for the SABC, is flourescent tubes which contain mercury vapor".

SABC suddenly advertises for a new CEO in newspapers again - just 5 months after it said it will immediately stop advertising vacancies in newspapers.

The SABC is suddenly advertising for a new CEO, marking a U-turn just 5 months after the public broacaster declared that it won't advertise any SABC jobs externally anymore.

In May, Hlaudi Motsoeneng brazenly declared that the SABC "don't see a need to use print media".

The SABC is now looking to replace Frans Matlala who was recently fired with a golden handshake worth millions of rand after he was abruptly suspended in November 2015 after just four months in the job.

Frans Matlala was allegedly axed because he helped National Treasury with an investigation into the controversial SABC executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng's procurement of a multi-million rand studio that was constructed but was not put out to tender.

In the SABC's latest financial report for 2015/2016 released on Thursday the SABC only notes that Frans Matlala was suspended but refuses to provide a reason in its annual report for as to why.

On Sunday the SABC suddenly used newspapers again to advertise the "poisoned chalice" that's the SABC's top executive position.

The SABC has now had 11 CEOs – including those who were appointed in an acting capacity with James Aguma being the latest – since 2009.

In April James Aguma, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago announced that the SABC is abruptly ending the practice of advertising SABC jobs externally in newspapers.

They said that the SABC had taken a decision to end external advertising for jobs and tenders in any print and other media and would only be using its own TV channels and radio stations, and also not make use of the services of any services of external media agencies anymore.

"The SABC decided that it will advertise its employment vacancies and tender advertisements on the SABC's television, radio and digital platforms only. This will be implemented with immediate effect," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng in April.

Kaizer Kganyago didn’t respond to media enquiry asking why the SABC is advertising employment vacancies in national newspapers again.

The CEO advert of the SABC has a closing date of 14 October for applications.

The famously matricless Kaizer Motsoeneng – who the Public Protector in her February 2014 found in a recorded interview admitted that he lied about about having a matric certificate and made up symbols for a certificate he didn’t have – wouldn't be able to apply.

The SABC is looking for candidates with post-graduate qualifications, preferably a MBA or Msc and who has "sound knowledge of the media industry".

At least 10 years of senior management experience is required as well as "best-in-practice corporate governance".

SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng promises Reed Dance Live in September; slams SA media again for unbalanced reporting and fixation on reporting corruption.

The controversial SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng as part of his local content TV drive is promising viewers Reed Dance live in September and again slammed South African media for being fixated on wanting to report corruption and not "good stories to tell".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC was showing the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II on television "the whole day" when he joined the South African public broadcaster but that the Zulu Reed Dance will be broadcast live in September.

Late last week now 6 months and counting since the shock suspension of the SABC CEO Frans Matlala without any public explanation and who's nowhere to be seen, Hlaudi Motsoeneng first paid the Venda king a courtesy visit on Thursday, followed by a visit to the Zulu king.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng promised Venda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana in Thohoyandou major broadcasting infrastructure upgrades.

"What we need to do there, because we have buildings there, we need to build studios. So that when production house comes, and you produce content, you don't go to Auckland Park, you are able to shoot here in Thohoyandou," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng on SABC News.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said all languages will be treated equally by the SABC. "So within SABC television platforms from 1 July, you will see a different SABC. I have been saying to colleagues that transformation is not negotiable, we just implement".

Toni Mphephu Ramabulana said on SABC TV News he supports Hlaudi Motsoeneng's censorship decision to ban visuals of property destruction during public protests. "We support the decision by the SABC. We are saying to SABC, we are with you on this one."

Next, Hlaudi Motsoeneng visited the Zulu kingdom and King Goodwill Zwelithini and spoke at the eNyokeni Royal Palace in Nongoma in northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The SABC will improve its coverage of heritage activities by broadcasting live cultural and traditional events.

On SABC News Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "when I arrived at the SABC, the broadcaster was only showing the Britain's Queen the whole day. Our king and other kings were not being shown live, but all that will change".

"I know that there will be a cultural ceremony in September, that event will be shown live."

The Zulu reed dance or Mkosi woMhlanga, that takes place over several days is a cultural event that lures tens of thousands of maidens annually who take part in dancing, singing, virginity testing and a reed-giving ceremony at the eNyokeni palace as part of an important rite of passage for young Zulu women.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng again lashed South African media for not reporting balanced stories. "We are saying, if there is no water there, there is water there. Reflect the water there. You can't portray South Africa as if South Africa is just corruption; people are not delivering. Good story to tell."

King Goodwill Zwelithini shower Hlaudi Motsoeneng with praise, calling him "our pride".

SABC promises 5 new TV channels - 4 channels catering to different language groupings and SABC Sport as a separate TV channel.

The SABC is planning to launch 5 new TV channels - 4 channels catering to different language groupings as well as SABC Sport as a separate TV channel.

The plan for new language segmented SABC TV channels comes after years of the public broadcaster unsuccessfully trying to launch SABC4 and SABC5 as regional language channels catering to the northern and southern regions of South Africa respectively.

The SABC's four language segmented channels will be run in addition to the existing SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and the SABC News and SABC Encore channels, the last two of which are packaged for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

The additional new TV channels, when launched, will be available on the SABC's digital terrestrial television (DTT) platform and will also have to be available on various pay-TV operators' bouquets as part of the existing "must carry" rules as mandated by the broadcasting regulator, Icasa.

The additional new channels are a far cry from the ambitious 18 TV channels the SABC told parliament in 2011 it wanted to launch with the advent of DTT in South Africa.

The new TV channels plan comes as the SABC's latest new CEO, Frans Matlala remains suspended since November 2015, and with the SABC that reported a staggering loss of R403 million for the last reported financial year.

It's not clear where the struggling SABC that is under great financial pressure, will get the money to run the additional new channels and to produce the costly programming needed for the channels.

A single TV channel requires 8 760 hours of content per year. With the existing SABC channels filled with repeats and rebroadcasts already, its highly unlikely that the SABC will be able to programme multiple further channels scheduled with just brand-new local content.

The SABC that has not given specific channel names or any launch dates, says one TV channel will primarily be the Sotho TV channel, catering to Sesotho, Setswana and Sepedi languages. Zulu, Xhosa, Siswati and Ndebele will form part of a second Nguni focused TV channel.

A third channel will focus on Tsonga and Venda language speakers. A fourth SABC TV channel will be for Afrikaans viewers.

The SABC is also working on establishing its SABC Sport brand as a separate sports channel.

Reporting the news on the SABC, SABC2 Morning Live news reader Lebo Thinane made a Freudian slip, telling viewers that the "several language based TV channels will serve the ANC's audience".

Meanwhile local content will be increased for SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3. The SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says most of the new content will focus on languages the SABC marginalised like Afrikaans, Tsonga and Venda.

"As the public service broadcaster we continue to thrive in ensuring that all national languages achieve equal treatment as per our constitutional obligations," says Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a statement.

The SABC is under pressure to maintain its TV audience share that's under pressure as subscription and satellite television in South Africa keeps growing, with MultiChoice's DStv and Platco Digital's OpenView HD aggressively adding viewers year after year and with On Digital Media (OMD) and StarTimes Media SA's StarSat also in operation.

The SABC failed to meet its commercial revenue targets according to its latest financial report, citing increased TV industry competition. The SABC told parliament it will no longer present its commercial plan publicly out of fear over competitors.

The SABC said SABC News bulletins will now "have a segment that is dedicated to news from provinces" and that the public broadcaster wants more local content that reflect various provinces.

The SABC is also dumping the use of all external marketing agencies for marketing campaigns and will do it in-house.

The SABC is also dumping print advertising and advertising on all platforms outside of the SABC for vacancies. With immediate effect the SABC will only advertise available jobs on the SABC's TV and radio stations and its own digital platforms.

SABC refuses to be accountable to parliament as to where the suspended SABC CEO Frans Matlala is, and what is going on with its CEO investigation and disciplinary process.

The SABC refused to tell parliamentarians on Tuesday what the exact situation around the public broadcaster's abruptly and still suspended CEO Frans Matlala is and why he has been suspended.

The SABC used the fake-out American legal verbage that the matter is "sub judice".

SABC board member Dr. Aaron Tshidzumba - who should know better since he's a broadcast lecturer - told parliament's portfolio committee on communications on Tuesday that he can't answer a question about the suspended SABC CEO Frans Matlala and his disciplinary process and hearing because its "sub judice".

"Sub judice" is used in (1) American law when public information about a case (2) could possibly influence a jury before they've reached a decision on the evidence presented in court only.

Lo and behold, South Africa doesn't have a jury system we have magistrates and judges who are learned, and there is nobody who is going to be influenced by hearing what they "shouldn't" - least of all parliamentarians.

The Frans Matlala suspension case and disciplinary process is also not, as far as the public knows, a legal case before any court.

Frans Matlala became SABC CEO in July 2015; then abruptly suspended barely 4 months later in November last year, pending an "investigation".

Keep in mind that the SABC is a public broadcaster, for the public, that the public pay SABC TV licence fees towards, who are being kept in the dark - deliberately - as to where the appointed SABC CEO is, why exactly he has been suspended, and what is happening with him and the case.

"The issue of the CEO; it's still sub judice. The charges are misconduct from the SABC board level," Dr. Aaron Tshidzumba told parliament in response to a question.

SABC again at war with itself as new - and now suspended - SABC CEO Frans Matlala fights back against his suspension and exposes shocking lapses of corporate governance.

The beleaguered and pathologically ill SABC is once again at war. With itself.

Barely four months after finally appointing its next CEO - the embattled South African Broadcasting Corporation's 9th since 2009 - Frans Matlala is now out of his seat and fighting against the SABC, battling the SABC over his suspension and exposing rot and shocking alleged lapses of corporate governance at the public broadcaster.

Through his lawyer, Joe Mothibi of Norton Rose Fulbright, Frans Matlala wrote to the SABC on 17 November demanding that the SABC reinstate him and immediately lift his shocking suspension by this Tuesday.

If this doesn't happen, Frans Matlala plans to take the SABC to the High Court.

Frans Matlala's legal representation told the SABC that the public broadcaster did not follow legal process to suddenly suspend him.

"Our client views your conduct to be unreasonable, unlawful and not in the best interest of the SABC," Frans Matlala's lawyer told the SABC.

Lacking any transparency over the reasons for the SABC top boss' suspension, the SABC which is in the business of communication and is ostensibly supposed to be a public broadcaster, is refusing to say why yet another SABC CEO has abruptly been suspended.

Now Frans Matlala has become the next SABC CEO, similar to several in the recent past few years, to not only be suspended, but to fight back against the SABC once again being damaged and torn by revelations denting its already tattered image as a public broadcaster in the eyes of ordinary South Africans.

While the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng has not been suspended after almost two years since the Public Protector's scathing report implicating him in gross maladministration and abuse of power, Frans Matlala got barred from SABC doors after just four months.

Frans Matlala claims that he was helping Treasury who asked his help with an investigation into the shocking R40 million new SABC studio ordered by Hlaudi Motsoeneng that was never put out to tender.

The new SABC studio of R39 380 000 excluding VAT was quickly constructed for use of Rugby World Cup coverage and for use by the SABC News (DStv 404) channel to do news coverage.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng - currently himself the subject of an upcoming disciplinary hearing and who last month went on a "voluntary leave of absence" without being suspended - admitted that the studio contract never went out to tender as it's supposed to.

According to Frans Matlala, the SABC's chairperson Obert Mbulaheni Maguvhe ordered him on 11 November to stop helping Treasury with the investigation into the SABC studio procurement process.

It's not clear why the SABC chairperson would prevent a SABC CEO to help with a Treasury investigation. SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't respond to a media enquiry on Thursday why the SABC board and chairperson wanted Frans Matlala to stop helping the Treasury investigation.

In another bombshell relevation, Frans Matlala is directly criticising the SABC, saying the process to appoint the attorneys of Werksmans Attorneys to act in the disciplinary hearing of Hlaudi Motsoeneng is flawed. Again, no comment from the SABC's Kaizer Kganyago asked about this.

Frans Matlala says he was given no chance to make any representation before he was abruptly served his suspension letter, and was suspended after the controversial minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, gave the greenlight.

As previous suspended and then fired SABC board members earlier this year has said, Frans Matlala reiterates that the SABC board does not have a quorum to suspend him or to start disciplinary proceedings against him - the unstable SABC board is gutted and has been rocked by several resignations and firings directly done and influenced through Faith Muthambi.

The SABC's spokesperson Kaizer Kgangayo, asked if this is a correct allegation, didn't respond.

Frans Matlala says he wrote directly to president Jacob Zuma to apologise for the huge embarrassment of the SABC earlier this month when the SABC's Twitter feed wrote "WHAT.THE.F-!!!" after reports over a R4 billion Zuma jet to be procured for the South African president.

Frans Matlala says SABC policy and his contract states he as SABC CEO is the main point of contact between the public broadcaster and the government.

Yet his suspension includes a charge that he was allegedly "not authorised" to be in contact with Jacob Zuma.

The SABC was asked if it can please explain why there seems to be this discrepancy between what Frans Matlala's contract and SABC policy states, and why Frans Matlala would be charged in his suspension for doing something he is allowed, and supposed, to do.

The SABC didn't respond.

With the now fracturous relationship between Frans Matlala and the SABC and the collateral damage once again being inflicted on the battered SABC brand, it's not clear whether the suspended CEO who had previously been a consultant for the SABC, will remain - or for how long.

With a clearly damaged relationship, and given what has been happening with multiple SABC CEO's in the past, it's likely that the environment and relationship between the dysfunctional SABC top executive and SABC board and Frans Matlala has now suddenly become too toxic for him to really return and serve out the remainder of his contract.

The same mess and in-fighting and political interference that keeps plaguing the SABC and that has once again engulfed the upper management echelons of the SABC is once again further destabilising the public broadcaster and exposing shocking alleged lapses of corporate governance inside the public broadcaster.

The SABC, lurching from crisis to crisis, just posted a R401 million loss in its latest financial report, doesn't have an on-site COO and sits with 6 vacant seats on the SABC board which haven't been filled for months.

The latest row between the SABC and it's own suspended CEO makes clear exactly how gutted and (once-again) completely rudderless South Africa's public broadcaster is in a massive storm.

BREAKING. SABC CEO Frans Matlala abrutptly suspended after just 4 months on the job pending an investigation; SABC top management basically gutted.

Top management instability and scandal continues to rock the SABC with the beleaguered South African public broadcaster that has suspended the new SABC CEO Frans Matlala with immediate effect pending an investigation that the SABC doesn't want to talk about.

The SABC's acting chief operating officer (COO) and head of news Jimi Matthews is now taking over as acting CEO.

Jimi Matthews who himself was accused of assault charges earlier this year was already standing in for the embattled and highly controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng who is facing a disciplinary hearing and went on "extended leave".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng went on "extended leave" following a recent order of the Supreme Court of Appeal, coming more than a year after the February 2014 report from the Public Protector which directly implicated Hlaudi Motsoeneng in abuse of power and maladministration at the SABC.

Frans Matlala took over in July as the umpteenth SABC CEO after several SABC CEO's were fired and resigned in previous years without finishing their contract terms.

Frans Matlala is the SABC's 9th CEO since 2009.

Management and executive instability as well as political interference continue to rock the struggling public broadcaster which reported a loss of R403 million for the latest financial year.

Meanwhile a a long-delayed process has been delayed even further to try and replace just two out of 6 long-vacant positions on the SABC board.

The firing of SABC board members causing some of these vacancies are itself the subject of a legal challenge in the North Gauteng High Court

Meanwhile the process to find replacements for the most "recent" empty seats on the SABC board hasn't even started yet. Besides the two positions of which the replacement process is delayed due to a parliamentary strike, there's 4 further empty SABC board positions.

The SABC top management structure and SABC board is totally gutted: the SABC is now without a CEO and a COO, along with several empty seats on the SABC board, while several other top executive positions at the SABC also remain unfilled.

"The board of the SABC today suspended with immediate effect the group CEO Frans Matlala pending an investigation," is all the embattled SABC managed to put out to the media in a terse statement todayby SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.

"The SABC’s group executive for news and current affairs, Jimi Matthews, will be acting CEO during this time," said the SABC in the statement.

"The organisation will not comment further on this matter, until all processes are finalised," said SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago, refusing to say why Frans Matlala was suddenly suspended, further deepening the ongoing management crisis at the SABC.

The SABC remains riddled with top management turn-over and financial problems, personnel unhappiness, accusations of political interference and an unstable SABC board with numerous vacancies.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party was quick to react to the latest chapter of the SABC's ongoing crises, with Phumzile Van Damme, the DA's shadow minister of communications saying in a statement that the suspension of SABC CEO Frans Matlala "was carried out with virtually no reasons provided to parliament and the public".

She called on the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi to "come clean" on the reasons for Frans Matlala's sudden shocking suspension.

She said Faith Muthambi must "urgently provide the reasons for Frans Matlala's suspension and urgently fix the permanent state of chaos in order to restore much lost credibility to the SABC".

Another nationwide blackout of the SABC's TV channels hit terrestrial viewers, public broadcaster silent on why viewers were again left in the dark.

Another nationwide blackout hit terrestrial SABC viewers which took SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 off the air, with the public broadcaster remaining silent about it.

The latest blackout of the SABC's channels came just a month and a half after the SABC's new CEO Frans Matlala promised South Africa's parliament in mid-August that blackouts of the SABC's services won't happen again.

The blackout happened at the beginning of this month, Thursday 1 October, when the SABC's channels unexpectedly went dark for over an hour for viewers who watch these channels terrestrially and not through MultiChoice's DStv, On Digital Media's StarSat or Platco Digital's OpenView HD. 

Viewers of SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 just got a blue screen instead of any programming.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago didn't respond to a media enquiry about the nationwide blackout and why it happened.

"Still no apology or response to the blackout. Like screw this TV licence thing," said SABC viewer Nicholas Busch.

"I think you people at SABC should get people who are capable to work at the different stations then there would be less issues like we have at the moment," said viewer Amore Peach. 

"Are we paying our licences to watch repeats over and over again and if that's not bad enough, we sure as hell aren't paying to watch black screens either. Seems like there are too many incompetent people working there."

"I guess that we will never know what happened to the signal," said SABC viewer Sharon Riley. "That shows that they don't care about us, the customers, that still pay their TV licence."

"Doomsday Broadcast?? Whats happening with the channels??" wondered Thapelo Setlodi.

The signal distributor Sentech responsible for the SABC channels confirms there was a nationwide blackout of the public broadcaster's TV channels due to an electricity failure. An emergency back-up generator also failed to kick in.

THE SABC SALARY THAT IS SHOCKING A NATION: Hlaudi Motsoeneng R3.78 million salary ... while the SABC made a loss of a massive R401 million.

It's the astronomical R3.78 million pay of the SABC's famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng that's completely shocking South Africa:

Keep in mind that the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO):

■ doesn't have a degree. Any degree.

■ Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't have matric.

■ even a judge of South Africa's Supreme Court of Appeals said last week that after reading hundreds of pages he doesn't even know what grade of school Hlaudi Motsoeneng successfully completed.

■ admitted in a recorded interview to South Africa's Public Protector that he lied. Hlaudi Motsoeneng admitted he lied about having matric; he admitted he faked symbols for a certificate he knew he couldn't produce.


This person was paid in excess of R3.78 million by the South African public broadcaster, which is a public broadcaster, funded by your SABC TV licence, which the SABC wants you to pay.

The SABC made a massive loss of R401 million for the last financial year - yet Hlaudi Motsoeneng's salary shockingly went up almost R1 million - a whopping 31% in just one year to R3.78 million.


(Remember back in April when The Sunday Times reported that the SABC is facing a loss of around R500 million? Hlaudi Motsoeneng then slammed The Sunday Times and South Africa's journalists for "bad stories" - which turns out to be very accurate months later.)

In Hlaudi Motsoeneng's world a massive loss of hundreds of millions is "progress".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's R3.78 million means that he now earns more money than South African president Jacob Zuma who gets R2.75 million annually.

"We're not shy to spend to spend money on the things we believe in," SABC CEO Frans Matlala tells the press at a media briefing on Wednesday afternoon at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters.


The almost R1 million increase to R3.78 million per year for Hlaudi Motsoeneng is freaking the South African nation out Rand Daily Mail reports.

"Hlaudi's R3.78 million jackpot" says The Star, noting that the SABC boss who only has Grade 9 could be facing yet another probe by the Public Protector. "SABC boss pay shock" reports The Mercury about Hlaudi Motsoeneng's millions.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's "brazen R1 million salary increase causes outrage" reports The Media, with "South Africans taken aback at the news of Motsoeneng's salary increase".

"The South African public's failure to pay their SABC TV licences" is being blamed as the main reason for the massive loss, says SABC CEO Frans Matlala.

Ironically less people will pay their SABC TV licences reports The Herald, saying there's "fury at the mind-boggling SABC pay hike" and that "no wonder so many people are not paying their SABC TV licence fees".

An an old granny says the "SABC can whistle for my SABC TV licence money" - she's not paying anymore due to the waste of money going on at the public broadcaster.

The R401 million loss of the SABC is a 201% below budget. Cash reserves also dropped R400 million to R1 billion. Hlaudi Motsoeneng's massive pay hike comes as the SABC faces an ongoing cash crisis and tough conditions.

The SABC's annual report reveals a massive problem: SABC salaries went up R400 million as expenses balloon.



And Hlaudi Motsoeneng says: "We are not like Telkom or any other state enterprise. What we care about is to give people what they want which is quality programming and good local content".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng says "it is not a sin for a black man to earn a decent salary - people should be rewarded at the SABC, even if they're cleaners. according to News24.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng also said "if someone performs well and comes up with a R1 billion revenue, why should we not reward them?" according to the Independent group.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng also said "other broadcasters are talking about retrenching people, but we are not" according to The Citizen.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng says he has no plans to go back to school to get his matric, but that he "reads". He tells the YB20 Gauteng Youth Assembly that he had been to several "tertiary institutions" where he did various courses - although he never got any degrees or diplomas.


-The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party wants the Public Protector to investigate the shocking salary of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
-The FF Plus political party calls it an attempt of fast self enrichment.
-The COPE political party condemns Hlaudi Motsoeneng's abuse of the SABC.
-The ANC Youth League (ANCYL) "notes with great concern" his ridiculous salary increase and demands that the SABC sets "a correct example".
-The ANC political party says Hlaudi Motsoeneng's skyricketing salary "sets a dangerous precedence".

The Communication Workers' Union (CWU) says Hlaudi Motsoeneng's massive increase is unreasonable. The CWU says it will decide at the end of September to decide what action CWU members will take over this.


Hlaudi Motsoeneng is "suffering from delusions of grandeur" and the silence of Faith Muthambi, the minister of communications, is deafening with calls for her to be fired immediately.

The SABC's financial situation is now once again under scrutiny after Hlaudi Motsoeneng lied to parliament earlier this year about the projected loss of R401 million.

The public broadcasting pressure group SOS Coalition is astonished at the massive salary and wants to know who authorised the latest pay hike for Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The Sowetan reports Hlaudi Motsoeneng is earning more than president Jacob Zuma who is already the 4th best paid president in the world.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was paid a bonus of R279 000 by the SABC and R916 000 for "other allowances" - while the struggling public broadcaster remains riddled with acute financial, personnel and management troubles according to BusinessDay and of course a gutted and unstable SABC board.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's expensive homes: A R2.8 million home he bought in 2011 in Ruimsig Country Estate in Krugersdorp (now worth R3.3 million); a R1.6 million home in Langenhovenpark in Bloemfontein (now worth R2 million); and a R190 000 home in Pellissier in Bloemfontein bought in 1999 (now worth R1.2 million).


SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe on Thursday tells 702 that "it is within the SABC benchmark" to pay Hlaudi Motsoeneng a million more from one year to the next. "I don't see any crisis there at SABC," says Mbulaheni Maguvhe.


"For us this is a good story," says SABC CEO Frans Matlala in the good spin and one-sided 2 minute, 28 second story reported on SABC3 and SABC News (DStv 404) on Wednesday evening that you can watch here. See if you can see what the SABC deliberately omitted to tell viewers.

Listen to Hlaudi Motsoeneng say - as the SABC recorded a loss of R401 million: "SABC is doing very well. People because they don't want to give credit where it is due, they try to put their own agenda within the organisation".

SABC splash out on HD enabled studio; Hlaudi Motsoeneng excited by the colours that can change, will be used for World Cup Rugby commentary.

The SABC has splashed out millions of rands for a new high definition (HD) enabled studio that will be used for in-studio programming primarily for SABC sport broadcasts and SABC news and current affairs.

While the studio is HD enabled, currently none of the public broadcaster channels or any SABC content are actually seen anywhere in HD. The SABC says it plans to build similar studios in all of South Africa's provinces.

The unveiling of the SABC's new HD studio - which looks like a cheaper version of the existing SuperSport sports studio and set in Studio 6 in Randburg - was broadcast live on SABC News (DStv 404) on Wednesday on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

The SABC will use the new HD enabled set for the first time to do coverage of the upcoming 2015 Rugby World Cup tournament from a new set incorporating oval platforms that has been constructed in the studio.

The studio which was unveiled by the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi on Wednesday includes a touch screen which initially didn't work during the SABC's unveiling, 4 big video walls, 6 digital cameras and LED lighting.

Like SuperSport, the SABC will for the first time now be able to provide viewers on its channels with augmented three dimensional graphics for sport, for instance showing statistics of players and teams.

Coverage of the upcoming local municipal elections as well as the 2016 Olympic Games next year will also take place from the new SABC studio.

Faith Muthambi said the HD enabled studio will help the SABC for digital terrestrial migration (DTT).

She said on SABC News that SABC viewers will be "able to watch rugby from their living rooms, comfortably so, with high definitition television".

Meanwhile the long-stalled switch-over from analogue broadcasting in South Africa is years behind schedule and has no official commercial switch-on date yet.

Faith Muthambi didn't reveal the cost of the new HD enabled studio of the SABC but said it saved the SABC R11 million as the broadcaster splurged on champagne for the 4th time this year to toast the new studio.

The SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he's excited about the SABC's HD studio because it's got social media and a touch screen and the colours change.

While the new SABC CEO Frans Matlala was present but sat at the back in the audience and didn't speak, Hlaudi Motsoeneng was once again in the limelight under the bright studio spotlights and spoke on behalf of the SABC.

"I'm very glad that we are competing with international broadcasters. The technology is on par with international broadcasters. This is a multi-purpose studio which means SABC can use different units. The colours change," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"If Bafana Bafana play the colours will reflect Bafana. If Springboks play it will represent the Springboks. I'm very excited about this new technology."

'The colours, the sets, the lights, they just change. I mean you can set the lights, whatever, blue. Whatever colour that you need. We are able to do that. For us it is very exciting," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng on SABC News.

The first official broadcast from the SABC's new HD able set will be on Friday at 19:30 on SABC2.

SABC admits clandestine 'security' operations going on as 'standard procedure' inside SABC offices; fearful SABC staff scared their offices are bugged.

The SABC now admits that a "security audit" has taken place inside the SABC's offices, done by the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) inside the public broadcaster's Durban offices to "ensure that there's no threat to the efficient operations of the broadcaster".

The nationa security secret invasion and the secret investigation conducted inside the SABC, with SABC permission, and not made known beforehand or during the audit by the SABC to SABC staff, is allegedly to "ensure the security of various state-owned entities in compliance with the National Key Point requirements," says SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kgangayo.

Interestingly, the SABC used to be a public broadcaster according to the Broadcasting Act, belonging not to the state but to the people of South Africa as defined under the South African Constitution.

The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) calles the State Security Agency's (SSA) spying inside the SABC "outrageous".

"We at Sanef believe an investigation should be conducted by higher authorities," says Sanef deputy media freedom chairperson, Raymond Louw.  "What the SSA had done was a violation of constitutional freedom and outreageous".

The State Security Agency (SSA) says SABC staff should be asking the SABC CEO why the investigation is happening since the SSA worked inside the SABC on request of the SABC.

"The SABC needs to explain to its staff what is happening," says Brian Dube, State Security Agency spokesperson. "The allegations emanated from the staff".

Brian Dube says "the SABC CEO must deal with the questions" and that "government departments and public entities invited the agency to assist with various activities".

Trade union Bemawu's president Hannes du Buisson blasted the SABC earlier this week, writing to new SABC CEO Frans Matlala demanding explanations for the secret spying going on inside the SABC, and saying that SABC workers were ordered to keep quiet, that the investigation and presence of spies damage and comprises what's left of the SABC's integrity, and asking why the secret operation has not been communicated by the SABC to the SABC's own staff.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago called the secret investigation "standard procedure" done to "constantly identify threats towards acts of terror, espionage and other related risks".

Kaizer Kganyago said "The SABC would like to put it on record that this process is not in any way a move to undermind the corporation's business units, instill fear among staff members or invade their privacy."

Sadly, shockingly, this is exactly what has happened through this process: SABC workers are scared, suspicious, have been deliberately kept in the dark, are wondering what's going on, have not been communicated with, don't feel valued and trusted and are fearing what's going on.

SABC staff and managers are extremely concerned that their offices are bugged.

Bemawu president Hannes du Buisson asked SABC CEO Frans Matlala for "urgent intervention" and an explanation as well as that "this secret operation be stopped".

"We also want an explanation as to why the National Intelligence Agency finds it necessary to put employees out of their offices, invading their privacy and work space, where they spent the majority of the day and a substantial time of their lives."

SABC workers are fearful and scared and worried about the lack of transparency from the public broadcaster.

"Employees are extremely uncomfortable with what is happening, as they are not sure whether secret surveillance equipment is installed in their offices, and if so, why this is happening and necessary," says Hannes du Buisson.

"We do not see any reason for the NIA to lock employees out of their offices, remaining inside alone. The SABC is a workplace, not a law enforcement agency or some secret organisation where NIA agents have free reign."

Political party COPE says in a statement "under Hlaudi Motsoeneng [SABC COO] and Faith Muthambi [South Africa's minister of communications] the public broadcaster will soon become the ABCBC".

"In a vibrant democracy, all self-respecting democrats will take offence if the NIA were to walk into provincial offices of the public broadcaster, which belongs to all of us, and throw out employees from their offices to make secret searches. Furthermore, they would be revolted if the staff were threatened with dismissal if they dared disclose what was happening," says Dennis Bloem, COPE spokesperson.

"This is how, by little steps, tyranny overthrows democracy."

"The NIA's business is to protect the state, not to harass journalists and media workers. They are not the enemy of the state. Every South African should recognise that this is an insidious operation by the NIA."

"COPE wants an explanation from Faith Muthambi. Was this what 'Baba' had wanted her to do and is that why she gladly obliged? Is this what we can expect under her as minister of communication? Or was this instigated by Hlaudi Motsoeneng with her blessing?"

"COPE demands that Faith Muthambi explains to the nation what the NIA was doing at the SABC offices in Durban and why the staff there was treated so contemptuously and aggressively."

National Intelligence Agency (NIA) is spying on SABC staff, says SABC trade union Bemawu, demands that SABC CEO Frans Matlala explains why.

South Africa's National Intelligence Angecy (NIA) is spying on SABC staff and the public broadcaster says the SABC trade union Bemawu who wrote to the SABC's new CEO Frans Matlala asking what is going on.

Hannes du Buisson, president of the Broadcast Electronic Media and Allied Workers' Union (Bemawu) wrote to Frans Matlala on Tuesday saying the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) has "instructed SABC employees to leave their offices while operators spent between 2 and 3 hours per office for a purpose unknown to the employees".

This allegedly happened and is happening at the SABC's offices in Durban.

"We have furthermore been informed that employees were instructed to keep quiet about this and were threatened with action should they tell anybody."

Fearful SABC staff are "not sure whether secret surveillance equipment was installed in their offices, and if so, why is this happening and necessary?"

"We do not see any reason for the National Intelligence Agency to lock employees out of their offices, remaining inside alone."

"The SABC is a workplace, not a law enforcement agency or some secret organisation where NIA agents have free rein," Hannes dui Buisson wrote to Frans Matlala.

"For a state agency to act in this manner at a public broadcaster is of serious concern… such action seriously compromises what is left of the SABC's integrity."

Bemawu demands that Frans Matlala as the SABC CEO explains what is going on at the public broadcaster.

"We request your urgent intervention, assistance and explanation. We request that this secret operation be stopped and the purpose and intent be communicated to staff."

"We also want an explanation as to why the National Intelligence Agency finds it necessary to put employees out of their offices, invading their privacy and work space, where they spent the majority of the day and a substantial time of their lives."

The SABC to launch a 6th TV channel soon since Hlaudi Motsoeneng secured R1.5 billion to start the new channel, says SABC chairperson.

You're reading it here first.

The SABC is set to launch a 6th TV channel soon after the public broadcaster's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng secured R1.5 billion for the SABC to start another new channel.

SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe surprised parliament with the news of a new, planned 6th SABC TV channel on Tuesday.

"Hlaudi and his team have secured R1.5 billion with which we are going to establish a new TV channel. That will be the 6th channel," said Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe.

The new 6th channel will join SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 as well as the SABC News (DStv 404) and the archive rerun channel SABC Encore (DStv 156).

SABC News and SABC Encore are supplied by the public broadcaster exclusively to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV - despite "must-carry" regulations from the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, that all satellite and pay-TV platforms like ODM's StarSat and Platco Digital's OpenView HD should get and show all public access channels.

It's not clear whether this new 6th SABC channel will also be carried by MultiChoice on DStv exclusively and Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe didn't reveal more details.

The channel could be SABC Entertainment - which was supposed to launch according to the contract with MultiChoice but which was eventually changed to SABC Encore - although it will most likely be SABC Sport as a 24-hour TV channel.

The creation of SABC Sport will bring an end to the schedule disruption of the SABC's existing three terrestrial channels every time there's soccer, cricket or rugby tournaments in cases where the SABC manages to secure the broadcasting rights.

"Some of the reason why we lose revenue is because there's so many sports of national interest and projects of national interest we disrupt our schedule," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"When you disrupt the schedule, which means you lose revenue, because you need to pay back the money you have already received from advertisers and sponsors - there are some penalties," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"It is important for us as the SABC to invest in compelling content. The second part is that we need to ensure that we broaden the number of platform that the SABC has in place," the new SABC CEO Frans Matlala told parliament on Tuesday.

"We have the 24-hour SABC News (DStv 404) channel, we just launched the SABC Encore (DStv 156) entertainment channel. There will be a couple more TV channels that we are going to be launching in due course," said Frans Matlala.

The 6th channel from the SABC will presumably only launch after the long-delayed commercial start of digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa.

In May this year Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC will launch with the existing 5 channels once DTT starts - far from the 18 TV channels the SABC told parliament it would have under DTT just four years ago.

New SABC CEO Frans Matlala admits in parliament: Viewers totally HATE it and leave when SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 switch programming, disrupt schedules.

The new SABC CEO Frans Matlala revealed during his first report to parliament since his recent appointment as the public broadcaster's new top executive, that viewers totally hate it and tune out when the SABC switches programming from one channel to another between SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3.

Frans Matlala said switching programmes between channels like SABC1 and SABC2 seemed like an "innovative" idea, but blamed the move for a drop in audience figures in the latter part of 2014 and said the SABC had since reverted back to it "original" schedules for the channels.

The SABC's audience share remains flat at 49% for the third quarter of 2014 which the public broadcaster reported on and missed its target of 52%.

"From just immediately after the World Cup we changed our schedules," said Frans Matlala.

"We moved some programmes from SABC1 to SABC2, which is something that our viewers didn't like very much. And of course we lost audience there."

"The second one was Generations was cancelled [on SABC1] during that particular period and it took us a while to come up with an alternative," said Frans Matlala.

"Immediately after the World Cup we had to deal with the issue of Generations - that it had been cancelled - which had to be replaced with another property of ours, which is Skeem Saam."

"It took a while for the audience to get used to Skeem Saam, but far more importantly, we had to negotiate with the different advertisers on this particular change, and of course the [viewership and advertising revenue] figures were affected somewhat by this change," said Frans Matlala.

"Immediately after the World Cup we did some programme changes, mainly between SABC1 and SABC2."

"We moved some programmes from SABC1 to SABC2 and from SABC2 to SABC1 - which was an innovation which we thought in our minds would have made a lot of sense."

"A lot of our audiences came back to us to say that they don't appreciate those changes and we've since reverted back to the original schedules that we had for SABC1 and SABC2. So the reasons for the decline in our audiences are internal," said Frans Matlala.

New SABC CEO Frans Matlala reveals: SABC struggles to improve audience share, missed most revenue targets, wasteful spending continues.

The SABC's new CEO Frans Matlala in his first report to parliament since his appointment revealed that the public broadcaster struggles to improve audience share, that most revenue targets in late 2014 were missed, that the SABC overspend on sport and that wasteful and irregular spending continue to the tune of millions of rand.

Frans Matlala also blamed the bad South African economy and competition, SABC schedule disruptions, as well as the dramatic implosion at the South African Post Office - which is supposed to deliver accounts for SABC TV licenses - for a dip in the public broadcaster's revenues.

In his first performance and expenditure report to parliament as the SABC's new CEO, Frans Matlala today gave the portfolio committee on communications feedback on the SABC's position for the third quarter of 2014.

While the SABC's news report broadcast on SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC3 on Tuesday evening painted a very rosy picture of the public broadcaster and noting how "pleasing" it is to the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, the story deliberately left out all of the more alarming details of the report back.

None of the following were reported on, or broadcast by, the SABC and SABC News:

The SABC continues to struggle to improve the public broadcaster's TV audience share which remains at 49% - below the set target of 52%. In order words, the SABC failed to lift its audience share as it was supposed to.

It was also revealed in parliament that marketing research done by one of the SABC's broadcasting rivals indicated that the SABC's drop in audience figures is apparently mainly as a result of perceived bias in SABC News coverage.

"During this period we had a challenge - particularly on the SABC TV side with our performance," Frans Matlala admitted to parliament.

"We missed our target by 2% due to two main issues. The one is from just immediately after the World Cup [when] we changed our schedules."

"We moved some programmes from SABC1 to SABC2, which is something that our viewers didn't like very much. And of course we lost audience there."

"The second one was Generations was cancelled [on SABC1] during that particular period and it took us a while to come up with an alternative," said Frans Matlala.

The SABC News channel on the DStv platform for which the public broadcaster receives millions of rand per year, is growing its viewership, but now has a daily average audience of 7 428 viewers.

On the 9 targets the SABC set for itself regarding "human capital" in the third quarter of 2014 the SABC met only 2. Seven were not met "due to capacity constraints and vacancies".

"The third quarter [of 2014] was financially challenging," Frans Matlala revealed to parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

"Our revenue targets, most of them were not met, except for our net financing income," said Frans Matlala. "The total revenue during this period was R2.099 billion - which was lower than budget by 9%."

"There are reasons for this unfavourable performance. A lot of them derive from increased competition, from the fact that most of our clients cut their budgets owing to contractions in the economy," said Frans Matlala.

Frans Matlala also blamed the South African Post Office for damaging SABC TV license revenue collection, saying that the SABC's TV licence fees were below budget".

"We depend on the South African Post Office to mail SABC TV license statements. During this period the Post Office experienced significant strike action."

"There were disruptions to our SABC schedules during this period. And of course the delays in approving the revised SABC licence tariff increase of 6%, which continues to put pressures on our revenues."

The SABC overspent on sport content that was not budgeted for.

Frans Matlala said that the SABC's lower revenues is due to things outside of the SABC's control.

"Its due to reductions in revenue from advertising, sponsorship, trade exchanges, SABC TV licence fees, and a lot of these depend on the appetite by the advertisers."

Frans Matlala revealed that irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure at the SABC continues.

During this period the SABC had R2.05 million in irregular expenditure and R820 000 in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, Frans Matlala revealed.

"One of the commitments that we make here is that where there are instances of avoidable wasteful and fruitless expenditure, the leadership of the SABC is always committed to ensure that action and consequences follow," said Frans Matlala.

"During October 2014 the SABC issued an RFP [Request for Proposals for productions] book with a total value of more than R600 million; making it the largest RFB book issued by the SABC for local content yet. It's a significant investment that will support the development of independent local producers," said Frans Matlala.

Some MPs referred to the SABC as "under-achieving".

Although it's in the public interest and members of parliament are tasked with oversight of the SABC, the chairperson of the communications committee on Tuesday blatantly blocked MPs from asking follow-up questions of SABC executives "in the interest of time".

MP Gavin Davis of the Democratic Alliance (DA) refused to back down and remain quiet. He tried to ask his questions of the SABC anyway -although not answered - while the chairman tried to silence him.

"If entities come here and mislead us, we have an obligation to put that right," said Gavin Davis. "Chairperson its unfortunate that you are quite happy to allow entities to come here to mislead us. And we are not even allowed to question them, when they mislead us."

"We are supposed to do oversight of the executives and you feel quite happy ...".

Faith Muthambi told parliament that "we all know and understand that the SABC is a state-owned entity under the guidance of the ANC led government. That's one thing we shouldn't be apologetic of".

Those SABC blackouts when all SABC TV channels and radio stations went dead? New SABC CEO Frans Matlala promises it won't happen again.

Remember those shocking SABC blackouts in October 2014 when the SABC abruptly went dark and lost all its TV channels and all SABC radio stations due to equipment failure and even the back-up system broke?

The SABC's new CEO Frans Matlala told parliament on Tuesday that it won't happen again.

"I'd like to give comfort that the SABC has since put in place measures to ensure that the power outages that disrupted these on-air services at the beginning of October 2014 have, the measures have been put in place," said Frans Matlala.

"We can provide some assurance that the problem will not re-occur," said Frans Matlala.

"We've since put additional measures that include a UPS bridging system that will ensure that the final control centre and the master control centre of the SABC will transmit eventually to Sentech and at all times will have power," said Frans Matlala.

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng: 'People must applaud SABC' because 'there is money at the SABC'; MultiChoice must 'sustain' SABC employees.

The SABC's chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says MultiChoice must carry the public as he again lashed out at print media in South Africa as being "misleading" about the public broadcaster and saying people need to "applaud the SABC" because "there is money at the SABC".

The controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is currently mired in a protracted court case following the Public Protector's report from February 2014 ordering him to be suspended, as well as the Western Cape High Court which ruled twice that the SABC suspend him and start a disciplinary hearing immediately. Hlaudi Motsoeneng is appealing the decision.

The caustic and  finger-waving Hlaudi Motsoeneng again took to the stage at The New Age breakfast briefing about digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration on Monday in Sandton, once again making utterances that had those attending laughing awkwardly and uncomfortably throughout when he spoke, while some shook their heads in disbelief and one guest was caught saying "wow".

The SABC's newsly appointed CE) Frans Matlala attended The New Age breakfast briefing but sat quietly in the audience and didn't speak as Hlaudi Motsoeneng unleashed his zingers.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said SABC broadcasts are not disrupted by rain fade like another broadcaster and that MultiChoice must make sure that the pay-TV operator "sustains" the SABC.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng also publicly slammed the SABC's former COO, Solly Mokoetle, who was a panelist next to him on the stage – twice – as well as South African newspapers who he claims are "misleading" South Africans about the SABC and it's financial state because they are in competition with the public broadcaster.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC's own audience is "very happy with the SABC". 

'MultiChoice must make sure it sustains SABC employees'

"People are talking about another small broadcaster somewhere, they are having the best technology," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"Actually they don't have better technology than SABC. Because we have the HD. Our own outside broadcast vans. They are in HD. But in our studio we have what we call analogue."

"If you compare us and them, when it's rains, it's a mess for them. We are still on the terrestrial, we're doing very well."

"With MultiChoice, it's partnership. We have what is called 'must-carry'. It is a regulations from Icasa, not from SABC. Must-carry means the SABC channels they must be carried by pay-TV. Not MultiChoice. All pay-TV. You know you have another pay-TV. They carry those channels of the SABC. But when people talk, they about MultiChoice."

"We approached MultiChoice. We said to MultiChoice: 'You need to contribute to the public. Because it can't be public for free. What is your contribution to the public?' They said no but the law says we must carry you. I said to them: 'Carry the public".

"That MultiChoice partnership is to also to make sure that we sustain employees within the organisation [SABC], we create jobs, which we have already done within the organisation," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Better than Solly

"We have outdone Solly Mokoetle here. From performance. As current leadership of the organisation. Because they could not raise any funds to sustain that organisation. He was the COO of the SABC. When we took over, SABC is sustainable today," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a sideswipe to Solly Mokoetle sitting next to him who is now the head of South Africa's DTT programme. 

'Our own audience are very happy'

Hlaudi Motsoeneng again publicly slammed South African newspaper journalism as he's done several times this year, speaking about the SABC's relationship with The New Age newspaper.

"Our own audience are very happy," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "Our audience they have never complain about the relationship between us and MultiChoice, and between New Age. Because it is a good relationship."

"We share the same vision with New Age. And I said to them: 'The day you portray South Africa as bad, that day SABC withdraw from this relationship."

"We Africans, we undermine ourselves. When you go to other countries, where there's BBC. Just check how they report about their country. They report very good about their country."

"We Africans, our mindset, we need to work on our mindset to be African mindset."

"Some people they always make this noise, this hullabaloo, about the SABC. We always have our own consultation with our own audience. Actually they are more than happy," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. 

'We need to applaud SABC'

"We need to applaud SABC," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "I need to deal with this notion that SABC is not sustainable financially. The boxing back, everything is back that people have been crying about. That shows that SABC is doing better."

"My former COO here, he knows that. The SABC could never do that but now we are able to do that." 

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "You choose in life. Partnership is all about choosing. You can't go and choose someone who is collapsing tomorrow and you want to do business with that. I need more business from MultiChoice, to invest so that we can empower people."

"There was no money at the SABC. There is money at the SABC. Don't take what you are reading at the newspaper because they mislead because they are competing with SABC," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.