South Africa's highest court orders famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay back R18 million 'SABC success fee' bonus

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's Constitutional Court has confirmed what multiple lower courts have already ordered: That the famously matricless former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng must pay back over R11.5 million plus interest amounting to R18 million to the embattled South African public broadcaster which he received as a so-called "success fee" bonus.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng lost his expensive fourth court bid to have the pay-back-the-money order overturned and has finally run out of all legal options.

The SABC, which Hlaudi Motsoeneng helped to destroy further through multiple disastrous decisions as COO and acting CEO, paid him R11.5 million seven years ago in September 2016 as part of a so-called "success fee" over an extremely controversial deal between the broadcaster and the private pay-TV company MultiChoice.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was fired in 2017 after a SABC disciplinary hearing which found him guilty of misconduct.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's "success fee" was not approved by the SABC board, with the broadcaster that in fact didn't even have any policy for the paying of any bonus or "success fee" related to transactions or deals with other companies.

The "success fee" was paid on top of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's annual R3.6 million salary, who was appointed at the SABC after he faked a matric certificate for a school grade he never completed.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng went to the Constitutional Court, seeking to appeal the 23 January 2023 decision by the Supreme Court of Appeal which had dismissed his application with costs.

This week South Africa's Constitutional Court flat out refused to hear Hlaudi Motsoeneng's appeal against the previous court orders compelling him to pay back the R11.5 million with interest amounting to over R18 million.

In a short note, the Constitutional Court said "The Constitutional Court has considered the application for condonation and the application for leave to appeal and has concluded that the application for leave to appeal does not engage its jurisdiction".

"Consequently, leave to appeal must be refused with costs and the Court need not decide the application for condonation,” said acting registrar of the Constitutional Court Mpilo Hlongwane.

The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg declared Hlaudi Motsoeneng's "success fee" bonus unlawful in December 2021 and ordered him to pay back the money within seven days. 

The Gauteng High Court in December 2021 in its judgment noted that Hlaudi Motsoeneng "was not an innocent bystander in all of this, he set out to obtain a benefit that he was not entitled to, knowing full well that his employment contract did not allow for bonuses".

"The only reasonable inference to be drawn is that he received payment of the success fee in circumstances that he knew, or ought to have known, that he was not entitled to it, this was unlawful."

The Court noted that Hlaudi Motsoeneng as a top executive at the SABC should have been aware that he can't be paid a "success fee" bonus.

The same case was also being investigated by South Africa's Special Investigating Unit (SIU). 

"The Special Investigating Unit has already recovered R6 476 515 from his pension benefits," the SIU said on Thursday in a statement.

"The SIU welcomes and sees the constitutional court's decision of 18 September 2024 as a positive step as it clears the way to pursue the outstanding amount from Hlaudi Motsoeneng."

Court rules former SABC execs and Hlaudi Motsoeneng not personally liable for unauthorised R2.5 million paid to musicians in 2016.

by Thinus Ferreira

On Monday the Johannesburg High Court ruled that nine former executives at the South African public broadcaster, as well as its controversial and fired former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng are not liable for an unauthorised R2.5 million that the SABC paid to musicians in 2016.

In 2016 Hlaudi Motsoeneng suddenly decided that the SABC will pay 180 random musicians R50 000 each - R9 million in total although the SABC, like now, struggled to pay basic bills and production companies for content.

Besides the R9 million cash gift, Hlaudi Motsoeneng announced that the SABC would start a music TV channel and would also do a programme about poems to showcase the work of poets - neither of which ever materialised as he kept running the SABC into the ground and further into financial disaster.  

In 2021 the SABC suddenly decided that it wanted to recover the millions the broadcaster paid to the musicians from the executives and Hlaudi Motsoeneng who signed off on the irregular payments, although the SABC knew since 2017 that the payments were not properly authorised.

The court on Monday dismissed a second bid brought by the SABC and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to try and recoup the money.

The Johannesburg High Court, in a majority decision penned by Judge Stuart Wilson ruled that ordering the money to be repaid now wouldn't be just and equitable since the SABC's claim on the money paid, had lapsed.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng was the first respondent in the case. 

Other respondents in the case included the SABC's former acting chief financial officer Audrey Raphela, the SABC's former group executive for sports Solly Motsweni, the SABC's former group executive for radio Leslie Ntloko, the SABC's former group executive for television Nomsa Philiso who is now MultiChoice CEO for general entertainment, the SABC's former group executive for news and current affairs Simon Tebele, the SABC's former executive of corporate affairs Bessie Tugwana and the SABC's former CEO James Aguma.

Court confirms former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng must pay back R11.5 million MultiChoice 'bonus'.

by Thinus Ferreira

The court has ordered the famously matricless former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay back the R11.5 million he received as a so-called MultiChoice "bonus" payout for allegedly securing a controversial SABC TV channels carriage deal with the Randburg-based satellite pay-TV company.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng lost his bid, with costs, to overturn a court ruling from the Johannesburg High Court in December 2021 stating that he must repay the R11.5 million, with annual interest of 15.5%, dating back to 13 September 2016 when the SABC paid him the MultiChoice bonus as a so-called "success fee".

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) which has been investigating cases relating to the mismanagement of funds at the struggling South African public broadcaster welcomed the latest court ruling, made on Friday, that dismissed Hlaudi Motsoeneng's application for leave to appeal the Johannesburg High Court decision.

"The court action was informed by the SIU investigation into the affairs of the SABC, which revealed that the SABC irregularly paid monies to individuals and entered into contracts to the detriment of the public broadcaster," the SIU said in a new statement about the issue.

"The High Court of South Africa: Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg on Friday 15 July 2022 ruled that Hlaudi Motsoeneng's leave to appeal is dismissed with costs and has ordered him to repay the SABC R11 508 549.12 paid to him as a success fee with interest, calculated from 13 September 2016 to date of payment."

"In December 2021, the court declared that the 19 August 2016 decision by the then SABC board to pay Hlaudi Motsoeneng a success fee amounting to over R11 5 million for clinching a MultiChoice deal was unlawful and invalid."

"The MultiChoice deal gave the pay television service provider access to the SABC's archives," the SIU said.

Besides the R11.5 million, Hlaudi Motsoeneng is embroiled in more cases of alleged fraudulent money payments. In March this year the Special Tribunal heard the case of the SIU and SABC' review application to try and claw back a payment of R2.5 million which the famously matricless SABC head honcho made to so-called "music legends" in 2016 as "royalty payments" without any approved budget.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng gave 53 "legendary" musicians R50 000 in cash at a time when then SABC was hovering on the brink of insolvency. The SIU and SABC wants the R2.5 million payment to be set aside and declared invalid.

Judgment in this case is reserved by Judge Lebogang Modiba.

The SABC is trying to claw back R24 million from former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

by Thinus Ferreira

The South African public broadcaster wants Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay back tens of millions of rand and is busy trying to claw back a whopping R24 million from its famously matricless former chief operating officer (COO).

The SABC wants Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay back R10.7 million in damages, to pay back a further R11 million he was paid as a so-called "bonus" for the SABC's controversial contract with MultiChoice to create the SABC Encore and SABC News (DStv 404) channels for DStv, and to pay another R850 000 in legal fees, together with another R112 000 in late payment interest.

The Sunday Times on Sunday reported that the SABC, working with the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), wants Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay R10.7 million in damages due to irregular appointments that were made at the South African public broadcaster during his tenure, as well as bonuses that were paid to staff.

Then there is also another R50 000 each that Hlaudi Motsoeneng paid out to 53 so-called music "legends" when he made it rain SABC-money in 2016 for their supposed role in the "liberation struggle". The payments were declared to be irregular.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng could lose his pension payout and also his various homes, with a process that is underway to determine what properties he has and their combined value.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng insists that the SABC owes him money - a further R22 million as part of his "bonus" for the controversial contract in which the SABC signed its archive over to MultiChoice and decided to switch its support to MultiChoice's position for South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) set-top boxes.

The SABC previously said it wants the STBs to have access control and an encryption system but suddenly switched to MultiChoice's position that influenced government policy and ended with the SABC's decoders being encryption-free.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng claims that the R850 000 in legal fees were paid when he was an employee of the SABC and was covered by the SABC's legal insurance.

TV NEWS ROUND-UP. Today's interesting TV stories to read - 12 October 2020.

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

■ "Too complex to break up" is the new excuse-slogan for "too big to fail".

The so-called "blue wave" is coming if America's Democratic Party wins the upcoming American election with the country's new wave of politicians who plan to break up the market dominance of Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon.

■ How Fox News (StarSat 261) creates its news narratives to play out like daily, serialised dramas.

Tells stories in a surprisingly similar way to a show like Lost or Stranger Things on Netflix; draws viewers deeper into a created reality that it spins for the watcher.

■ More penises are appearing on TV and in film and full frontal male nudity increases - but why are nearly all of them prosthetic?

In the obsession with size, big penis mystique must preserve the power of the phallus through prosthetic.

■ How The Crown on Netflix recreated Princess Diana's iconic wedding dress.

■ Massive ongoing court battle between the disgraced and famously matricless former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the South Africa's Special Investigating Unit (SIU).

■ The second season of The Boys ends with a shocking masturbation scene that was originally cut from the first season.

■ MultiChoice Studios now wants to sell its South African and African content to broadcasters across the Middle East.

■ Channing Dungey dumps Netflix after less than 2 years in shocking departure, is she heading to Warner Bros TV?

■ Because of NBCUniversal downsizing and cost-cutting rivals E! and Access Hollywood are now forced to share studio space.

Awkwardness as both E! and Access Hollywood look down on each other. The E! people think they're the "cool hip crowd" and Access is outdated and old, while Access thinks they're on broadcast television and E! is small and irrelevant. 

■ Viewership for embattled Ellen DeGeneres Show keeps falling after scandal. 

■ Nominations have opened for a vacancy on the SABC board and the application process closes on 15 October 2020.

■ TV's wave of "un-renewals": Scripted shows getting cancelled because of Covid after they become too expensive and difficult to produce because of the global pandemic.

■ CBS updates its iconic eye logo as CBS Television Studios rebrands to CBS Studios to identify CBS programming in end-title card.

■ YouTube more representative of Britain than television.

South African public broadcaster goes to labour court to get at least 28 irregular SABC appointments from the destructive Hlaudi Motsoeneng era reversed.

The South African public broadcaster has announced that it will go to the country's labour court to have the appointments of at least 28 SABC staffers be reversed that were made during the destructive era of the former top exec and chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng who himself has also been fired.

The appointments of the 28 SABC employees, with more that could follow, were made by and during the so-called "reign of terror" of the caustic and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The SABC wants these staffers' appointments to be declared invalid, unlawful and to be set aside.

"The SABC can confirm that it is in the process of serving the respective respondents with the application. Once this is complete, the organisation will lodge its application with the labour court, and the respondents will be afforded an opportunity to oppose the application by filing their answering affidavit," says Vuyo Mthembu, SABC spokesperson.

The SABC in a statement said that "These are appointments that are deemed to have been effected without following relevant SABC policies".

"The application follows recommendations of the reports of the Public Protector and the Parliamentary ad hoc committee, as well as the SABC’s internal investigation on irregular appointments."

"So far, 28 cases have been identified for the first phase of the process. The ongoing investigation might reveal further irregular appointments."

"All affected parties will be afforded an opportunity to oppose the application. The SABC remains committed to enforcing sound governance measures aimed at ensuring full compliance with all its policies."

Moja Love on DStv interested in doing a Hlaudi Motsoeneng reality show.

The Moja Love (DStv 157) channel is interested in doing a Hlaudi Motsoeneng reality show that could be coming to DStv subscribers' TV screens soon.

The Prosperita Productions production company is in pre-production on a reality show for the Siyaya TV-owned Moja Love channel carried on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV service.

The show would feature, follow and celebrate the caustic and highly-controversial, fired former chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC whose censorship and financial mismanagement during his tumultuous tenure brought the embattled South African public broadcaster to the brink of collapse.

On Sunday the Sunday World newspaper reported that Prosperita Productions have made a presentation to Moja Love executives about a Hlaudi Motsoeneng reality show, with channel head Bokani Moyo who confirmed that Moja Love is interested in such a show.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng who recently became a politician as part of the African Content Movement, told the newspaper that he was approached and is considering the proposal to lay his life bare to the South African public. 

A Hlaudi reality show would give viewers a glimpse into his colourful life and his family life with his two daughters.

SOS Coalition says Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling doesn't go far enough while former bosses 'Jimmy Matthews and Hlaudi Motsoeneng continue to live as symbols of South Africa's culture of impunity'.

After the release of the Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling on Monday, the SOS Coalition says that it doesn't go far enough - especially not in the public's calls for full accountability - while former abusive SABC bosses "Jimmy Matthews and Hlaudi Motsoeneng continue to live as symbols of South Africa's persistent culture of impunity".

On Monday the Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's public broadcaster reported that it found that the "spectre of the ANC hovered over the newsroom", that ministerial interference into the newsroom of the SABC took place, and found 'bullying and trauma" and a "work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions".

"The SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition welcomes the release of the long-awaited report of the Commission of Inquiry into interference in the decision-making in the newsroom of the SABC" the SOS Coalition said on Monday in a statement.

"The task before the Commission was a mammoth one and indeed, while the 66-page report offers a glimpse into some of the most egregious abuses of power against journalists and the South African public, the flagrant violations of our laws and complete disregard of our constitutional values by the erstwhile leaders of the SABC, it does not fully satisfy the public’s calls for full accountability."

"Questions remain around the roles of the previous leadership who were key to the destruction of the integrity of the SABC. Key people mentioned in the commission, like Jimmy Matthews and Hlaudi Motsoeneng, have refused to participate in the inquiry and continue to live as symbols of South Africa’s persistent culture of impunity," the SOS Coalition said.

"While the Coalition acknowledges that the inquiry could not have reasonably been expected to unpack the true depth and extent of editorial interference at the SABC from 2012 to date, we do hope that the SABC will be emboldened to pull on the threads that have been laid bare and pursue justice through disciplinary, legal or criminal processes for the many journalists and the South African public who have been affected by the degradation of values at our public broadcaster."

"Going forward, we would like to see the recommendations be given thorough consideration and we hope that this report will provide a stepping stone for more in-depth investigations that will help us understand the root of this malfeasance and how it was allowed to persist for so long," the SOS Coalition said.

"Investigations into interference in the newsroom, although welcomed, is yet still only one pillar within the SABC. There has been a devastating effect on the entire corporation and we urge those investigations continue and an accountable process follows."

"We call on the leaders of the SABC to begin the work of ensuring accountability and rebuilding
our public broadcaster into an institution that the South African public can trust once again," the public pressure group said.


ALSO READ: Commission of inquiry into editorial interference at South Africa's public broadcaster finds 'spectre of the ANC hovered over the newsroom', ministerial interference; 'bullying and trauma' and 'work environment crippled with fear, anxiety, resentment and tensions'. 
ALSO READ: After release of Commission of Inquiry's report into SABC editorial meddling the South African National Editor's Forum urges 'new custodians of the SABC newsroom to safeguard' it from future interference. 
ALSO READ: 'Be fast or I will fire you, I will really fire you': South Africa's former communications minister, Faith Muthambi, faces criminal charges after release of the report of the SABC's Commission of Inquiry into editorial interference and abuse at the public broadcaster. 

Treasury orders the South African public broadcaster to take action against corrupt executives, sell off 'non-core assets, scrap non-performing activities and recoup expenditure on content if the SABC wants access to bailout billions.

South Africa's National Treasury has ordered the beleaguered South African public broadcaster to take action against former corrupt executives like CEO James Aguma, COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng and even the former communications minister Faith Muthambi before Treasury would give the SABC access to the billions in another bailout the broadcaster is urgently seeking.

The SABC has also been ordered to sell off "non-core" assets, scrap underperforming operations and to recoup expenditure on content.

The Sunday Times on Sunday reported that one of the stringent conditions Treasury has imposed on the SABC in order to get money from the government's emergency reserve fund, is to investigate and take action against former executives and others implicated in corruption and mismanagement.

The SABC is in dire need of at least R3.2 billion in the short term and over R6 billion over the long term.

Treasury ordered the SABC to report on what the financially destroyed broadcaster is doing to hold corrupt executives and others to account who mismanaged and ran the SABC into the ground.

It means that James Aguma, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Sully Motsweni, Thobekile Khumalo, Faith Muthambi and others could face possible civil and criminal legal action from the SABC.

South Africa's National Assembly in parliament this week approved the Appropriation Bill of Tito Mboweni, minister of finance, allowing for the South African government's contingency reserve funding to be used to give another bailout to collapsed state-owned entities like Eskom, South African Airways (SAA) and the SABC.

It's however not clear when the SABC will actually receive any bailout money, or how much it will be.

Earlier in July Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, the current minister of finance, lied to the South African public and the country's TV and broadcasting industry and said that the SABC would receive "interim financial relief from Treasury within 10 days", with the balance of the bailout request 45 days after that.

This didn't happen.

Earlier this week Treasury revealed in parliament that it ordered the SABC by letter in April 2019 to meet 11 conditions before it can access the R3.2 billion bailout money it asked for, Dondo Mogajane, Treasury director-general, said on Wednesday in parliament.

These conditions he said "relates to getting the SABC in order so that it can sustain itself financially".

Other conditions imposed on the SABC by Treasury before it can get bailout money include the SABC identifying which "non-core" assets it has that can be sold off and when this can happen, as well as internal revenue-raising plans.

Other conditions are that the SABC has to identify and scrap non-performing activities and remove non-core operations, that the SABC must maximise advertising opportunities and advertising revenue, and that the SABC must somehow get a return on the investment on the expenditure on content.

'Organic intellectual' and ACM leader, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, says he can't understand why court dismissed his political party's application to force the SABC to give it live coverage.

The "organic intellectual" and leader of the African Content Movement (ACM) political party, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, says he doesn't understand why the South Gauteng High Court dismissed the ACM's application for an urgent court interdict to force the SABC to broadcast the ACM's manifesto launch live and to give it rolling coverage.

On Saturday Judge Willem van der Linde dismissed the ACM's application for an urgent court interdict with costs.

The ACM and its famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, decided to bring an application in the form of an urgent court interdict to try and force the SABC to give live broadcast coverage on Saturday on SABC2 and its SABC News (DStv 404) channel to the new political party's launch in Durban on Saturday.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng that now wants to take the case to the Constitutional Court after the High Court threw it out.

The caustic and egotistic Hlaudi Motsoeneng who lied about having a matric certificate and faked symbols on it, is a former chief operating officer (COO) at the broadcaster who was fired in 2017 after bringing the South African public broadcaster to the brink of financial collapse and inflicting massive reputational brand damage on the broadcaster.

The SABC said that it has not and will not be doing any live coverage of the manifesto launches ahead of South Africa's upcoming elections on 8 May for any of the new and existing political parties that have no representation in South Africa's parliament.

The SABC said that "no political party can dictate to the SABC how it provides political coverage of election-related activities" and that the South African Broadcasting Corporation "remains committed to covering the 2019 elections in an unrestrained, independent and impartial manner".

Phathiswa Magopeni, the SABC's head of news and current affairs said that "this is an editorial decision that has taken into account, amongst others, resource constraints and equitable coverage treatment of political parties contesting the elections".

"In addition, as per Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) regulations, there is no obligation on the SABC to provide live coverage to any political party".

SABC News reported that Hlaudi Motsoeneng doesn't understand why the court dismissed his application against the SABC, saying "the court, they denied South Africans to have different ideas to compete equally so. It is very important that all political parties are given airtime".

SABC successful as court dismiss the interdict application of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's African Content Movement political party to try and force SABC News to cover its manifesto launch live.

The SABC was successful on Saturday after the South Gauteng High Court dismissed with cost the African Content Movement (ACM) political party's application for an urgent court interdict to try and force the South African public broadcaster to give live broadcast coverage to its manifesto launch.

Judge Willem van der Linde in the South Gauteng High Court on Saturday dismissed the ACM's interdict application and ruled that the editorial policy of the SABC cannot be called into question.

ACM with its leader, the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, decided to bring an application in the form of an urgent court interdict to try and force the SABC to give live broadcast coverage on Saturday on SABC2 and its SABC News (DStv 404) channel to the new political party's launch in Durban.

The caustic and egotistic Hlaudi Motsoeneng who lied about having a matric certificate and faked symbols on it, is a former chief operating officer (COO) at the broadcaster who was fired in 2017 after bringing the South African public broadcaster to the brink of financial collapse and inflicting massive reputational brand damage on the broadcaster.

The ACM, through its legal representative, Advocate Macgregor Kufa, argued that the ACM has the right to express itself as a new political party and that the ACM feels that the party's manifesto launch might be excluded from SABC news coverage or even be "manipulated" after editing.

The SABC on Saturday said that it would "vigorously oppose" the application and that it won't cover the ACM's manifesto launch live or give it rolling live news coverage but would cover it as a news story done by its SABC News.

The SABC said that it has not and will not be doing any live coverage of the manifesto launches ahead of South Africa's upcoming elections on 8 May for any of the new and existing political parties that have no representation in South Africa's parliament.

The SABC says in a statement that "no political party can dictate to the SABC how it provides political coverage of election-related activities" and that the South African Broadcasting Corporation "remains committed to covering the 2019 elections in an unrestrained, independent and impartial manner".

Phathiswa Magopeni, the SABC's head of news and current affairs says "this is an editorial decision that has taken into account, amongst others, resource constraints and equitable coverage treatment of political parties contesting the elections".

"In addition, as per Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) regulations, there is no obligation on the SABC to provide live coverage to any political party".

On Saturday afternoon, Vuyo Mthembu, SABC spokesperson, said in a statement after the SABC's court victory that the "SABC is pleased that the South Gauteng High Court has dismissed the African Content Movement's application with costs".

"The dismissal of the application reaffirms that the SABC's decision was the correct one".

SABC to court today as public broadcaster fights with its former COO-now-politician, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who has a plan to help 'people with albinion' as his ACM party demands live coverage of its manifesto launch.

The South African public broadcaster is heading to court on Saturday morning to oppose the application of an urgent court interdict brought by the SABC's former COO-now-politician Hlaudi Motsoeneng who is demanding that the SABC cover his political party's manifesto launch of the African Content Movement (ACM) today live on SABC2 and SABC News (DStv 404).

The SABC says that it will be vigorously opposing the application, that will be heard in the South Gauteng High Court on Saturday from 10:00.

The SABC says that it will cover the ACM's manifesto launch by its SABC News division as a news story but won't be doing live or rolling coverage.

The SABC says that it has not and will not be doing any live coverage of the manifesto launches ahead of South Africa's upcoming elections on 8 May for any of the new and existing political parties that have no representation in South Africa's parliament.

The SABC says in a statement that "no political party can dictate to the SABC how it provides political coverage of election-related activities" and that the South African Broadcasting Corporation "remains committed to covering the 2019 elections in an unrestrained, independent and impartial manner".

Phathiswa Magopeni, the SABC's head of news and current affairs says "this is an editorial decision that has taken into account, amongst others, resource constraints and equitable coverage treatment of political parties contesting the elections".

"In addition, as per Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) regulations, there is no obligation on the SABC to provide live coverage to any political party".

Meanwhile Hlaudi Motsoeneng on the campaign trail has said the ACM will help to empower people with disabilities like "people with albinion".

In a clip circulating on social media, Hlaudi Motsoeneng this week denied that the ACM is a front for the corrupt former South African president Jacob Zuma, saying "Zuma party? No, you are playing! There is no Zuma here. There is only one future president, and it's Hlaudi".

"The new testament is the ACM. The ANC they don’t have ideas! How to turn around South Africa. How to make sure they empower young people, people with disabilities - people with albinion!"

Hlaudi Motsoeneng possibly meant "albinism", a congenital condition that has led to discrimination of black people with less melanin in their skin.

Please watch til the end for the kicker 🤭🤭🤭 pic.twitter.com/g3CswD8Zkf

— 🧘🏾‍♀️ C A S S A N D R A 🧜🏿‍♀️ (@MsCassandraGud) April 5, 2019

The SABC reaches complete financial collapse as the CIPC threatens to shut down or place the insolvent South African public broadcaster under business rescue.

SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu says the South African public broadcaster blames Hlaudi Motsoeneng for the "complete financial and governance collapse" of the SABC as the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) now demands that the commercially insolvent SABC must explain why it's not trading recklessly under insolvent circumstances and that could see it being shut down or placed under business rescue.

The SABC's liabilities are exceeding its assets by R1.8 billion and the SABC has 20 working days to respond to the CIPC.

The SABC is busy putting together a response to the CIPC, but the CIPC could force the SABC to be placed under so-called "business rescue", or to even be shut down given the lack of government help.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and latest minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, have done little to nothing to secure another bailout for the crippled SABC in the form of a government-guaranteed loan.

In the last days of the end of 2018, the jetset minister rather flew off to Vienna to attend an international conference instead of giving all her time and urgent attention to prevent the SABC from collapse before 2019's election year while mass retrenchments are looming at the broadcaster.

Only half of TV production companies and producers were paid in December some of what they're owed by the SABC as debts to producers supplying programming to the broadcaster keep mounting, while the SABC has had to beg the City of Johannesburg not to cut off its electricity which the SABC can no longer afford to pay in full.

From February 2019 the SABC will no longer be able to pay all SABC staff salaries, and from March 2019 no salaries, it told parliament.

The gutted SABC, destroyed by corruption and wasteful and irregular spending like the R27.7 million on the notorious and flopped Thank You SABC Concert that the SABC claimed it wasn't paying for - is limping along with an inquorate board of only four SABC board members.

On Sunday City Press reported that SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu said the SABC's financial implosion is blamed on irregular spending and bad previous management in the form of the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The newspaper details a litany of forensic cases of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the shocking and shameless looting of SABC finances under the horrific reign of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as former COO and former CEO James Aguma.

"The SABC would like to make it clear that Hlaudi Motsoeneng was the central figure in the complete financial and governance collapse of the corporation which the current executive management is redressing".

The SABC blames Hlaudi Motsoeneng "for the massive damage he has caused" the SABC.

eNCA adds puppet show, Almost News with Chester Missing.

eNCA (DStv 403) is adding a puppet show, Almost News with Chester Missing, on Sunday evenings at 19:30 from 25 November as the South African TV news channel ramps up its plans for 2019's election coverage.

Almost News with Chester Missing is a spin-off show from Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola, where the puppet made his first on-air appearance, and is produced by the same production company, Diprente, that did LNN for eNCA until its abrupt cancellation in September 2015.

Chester Missing, created and done by comedian Conrad Koch, has remained upfront in viewers' visage the past three years, with appearances from time to time on eNCA.

Although mercilessly mocked and struggling to get a word in edgewise, South African politicians appear to have a fearful yet awed fascination with the puppet, with politicians from across the political spectrum as well as a variety of public office holders and business high-flyers who have been willing to sit for the satirical, farcical and frenetic interviews with Chester Missing for what they in return crave most: time on television and in the limelight.

eNCA says Almost News with Chester Missing will "take an irreverent look at the current affairs landscape and put high-profile politicians through their paces in interviews only the country's most famous puppet can get away with".

Chester Missing chipped in with a quotable saying "I have my own TV show. I'm a puppet. Have any of you realised how crazy this is? Someone tell Hlaudi. He broke ground for puppets everywhere," referring to the fired former controversial SABC chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who has been a blight on the South African TV industry.

Conrad Koch says "Chester and I are hugely excited to be creating this show with South Africa's best news source, eNCA, and the amazing award-winning team at Diprente".

"South Africa has huge room for incisive, hilarious satire as we move towards elections next year. We want to make Almost News with Chester Missing both well researched and really, really funny."

Mapi Mhlangu, eNCA editor-in-chief says "Over many years Chester has become an integral part of the political firmament and has asked questions of our leaders no one else would dare to".

"And with one or two exceptions, politicians and business leaders love the interchange and are happy to participate. Chester also provides a release valve for South Africans who need to laugh at each other and themselves."

The SABC warns that its CEO Madoda Mxakwe is not on social media, says fake Facebook and Instagram accounts are misleading people.

The SABC on Wednesday warned that its CEO Madoda Mxakwe is not on social media and that fake Facebook and Instagram accounts carrying his name are misleading people.

The struggling South African public broadcaster on Wednesday cautioned people to disregard social media accounts bearing the name of the latest SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe, saying they are a violation of Mxakwe's rights and amount to identity theft.

The SABC last cautioned in May 2014 about its now-fired and controversial former chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who popped up on Twitter with a parody account, serving up words of wisdom for an appreciative nation.

Then the SABC said the Hlaudi Motsoeneng parody Twitter account is a violation of his rights and identity theft and was affecting the SABC, with the broadcaster that said it plans to get the Twitter account taken down.

It never happened but both fake Hlaudi accounts lost their luster in mid-2017 and although still available, fizzled out by themselves.

Now the angry SABC is warning the public about fake Facebook and Instagram accounts that the broadcaster says are "purporting to belong to the CEO Madoda Mxakwe".

"Mxakwe is not on social media and does not have either a Facebook or Instagram account. Any account with his name and photograph is deemed fake and must be disregarded. The public is urged not to engage with these accounts, as they were created with the intent to mislead people," says the SABC.

"The SABC views this matter in a serious light as this is just not a violation of Madoda Mxakwe's rights and identity theft, but it also affects the SABC as the organisation that Mxakwe represents."

Fired, controversial former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng loses his CCMA case for reinstatement.

The fired, controversial former SABC chief operating officer (COO) and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng won't get his job back at the South African public broadcaster after he lost his case for reinstatement at the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Hlaudi Motsoeneng took the SABC to the CCMA after he was fired in April 2017 for bringing the South African public broadcaster into disrepute, but his case was dismissed on Thursday.

The SABC in a statement says it welcomes the CCMA's dismissal of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's case.

"This is testimony of the effectiveness of the strategies that the SABC is embarking on to restore the credibility and integrity of the corporation," says Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson in a statement.

"The SABC remains committed to enforcing sound governance procedures aimed at re-establishing a culture of accountability in the public broadcaster."

Former president Jacob Zuma forced Bosasa to pay over R1.1 million of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees after he was fired by the SABC - reports.

An auditor says that South Africa's former president Jacob Zuma through Bosasa CEO Gavin Watson forced the payment of over R1.1 million of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees after the controversial and famously matriclesss former SABC COO was fired by the South African public broadcaster in June 2017.

The Sunday Times reports that the alleged corruption-riddled Bosasa has been "used as an ATM for politicians and those who are politically connected".

After the SABC and Hlaudi Motsoeneng racked up over R22 million in legal fees, Jacob Zuma reportedly dispatched his acolyte and former SAA board chairperson Dudu Myeni to force Bosasa through its CEO Gavin Watson to get Bosasa to pay and contribute to Hlaudi Motsoeneng's legal fees.

This comes from a sworn affidavit by Petrus Venter, an auditor employed by a company contracted by Bosasa.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's massive legal bills come after he went to the CCMA and the High Court in Johannesburg to fight against his SABC firing in a case that is continuing with legal bills that keep mounting in 15 different cases.

Bosasa was asked for comment about the legal fees payment but declined comment.

The City Press newspaper on Sunday reported on the same story reported on the same story.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s highest legal bill was R5.3 million, accrued during a fight with the Democratic Alliace (DA) political party over the former public protector Thuli Madonsela’s 2014 report that found that he had lied about having a matric certificate, as well as finding corruption, mismanagement and illegal salary hikes orchestrated by Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The SABC told the DA that it's unable to pay the R1.7 million in legal fee costs that the SABC is supposed to pay the party under the court order.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng told The Sunday Times that "I have known Zuma for many years, since my days as a reporter for the SABC, and our relationship has nothing to do with politics. If I support my president whenever he goes to court as a matter of principle, then why can't he support me?"

'People are very, very worried in this building': SABC won't give any guarantee that almost 4 000 staffers at cash-strapped South African public broadcaster won't face job cuts.

The SABC on Wednesday morning said that it can't and won't give any guarantee that the cash-strapped South African public broadcaster won't face dramatic job cuts to it's almost 4 000 heavy work force at the commercially insolvent institution.

Bongumusa Makhathini, SABC chairperson on SABC2's Morning Live programme on Wednesday said SABC staffers are not the target but admitted that the broadcaster's labour cost is too high and that the SABC is not just targeting personnel numbers but at reducing every cost line at the SABC.

It comes after the SABC let go of the fixed-contract and freelance workers at the end of August who were working on the SABC News (DStv 404) channel and who were told on Friday to clear out their desks when their contracts were not renewed.

Longtime staffers and producers who have been with SABC News since the channel's start-up five years ago got axed although the SABC renewed its controversial multi-million rand channel carriage with Naspers' MultiChoice to continue carrying the news channel on DStv for the next few years.

Around 3 000 of the SABC's staff headcount are permanent employees, while the rest are fixed-term and freelance workers.

A staggering amount of the SABC's expenditure goes to just paying staffers, although just 60% are directly involved in programming. The SABC is supposed to spend the bulk of its money on creating and broadcasting content.

The SABC's current wage bill is R3.1 billion for an organisation operating at R7 billion.

Leanne Manas on Wednesday told viewers "the Special Investigative Unit (SIU) identified R428 million in irregular expenditure incurred by the organisation during the time of COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng. How are we going to recover that money?"

She then said "if you look at the money of R428 million and the SABC incurring losses of R622 million - there is the money! And these are the job losses we're talking about."

"People are very, very worried in this building because a lot of contracts came to an end at the end of August because they haven't been resigned. And I know you say they're contracts but these are some people who have been working in the organisation for years - and now they're jobless," said Leanne Manas.

The SABC is reportedly looking at drastically shedding another 800 jobs to try and reduce the staggering wage bill of the public broadcaster that the Auditor-General (AG), Kimi Makwetu, on Monday described as "commercially insolvent".

The SABC yet again posted another annual loss of R622 million for the financial year until the end of March 2018 with the AG saying he can't say whether the SABC remains a going concern.

"We have to cut costs. It doesn't matter how much money we get injected in. We've got to cut cost, said Bongumusa Makhathini. "If you look at our labour cost for example, and other costs, they're too high to sustain and to lead to a viable SABC".

Bongumusa Makhathini said "when you look at labour cost and your needs of the business, we need to look at where broadcasting is going. And we've got to leverage and adopt some new, innovative ways of doing things".

"I cannot come here and confirm that contracts will be renewed without looking at what the operational model that we are adopting, without looking at the realities we are faced with. We cannot have a situation where we allow cost to escalate. We've got to get out cost down. And if it means optimising how we work, looking at our operational model, that's what we'll do."

"I don't want employees to feel that they are the target. We are targeting every cost line."

On Monday morning in a memo TVwithThinus saw, SABC staffers were told that the trade union Bemawu has noted with concern sources talking about the allegedly planned 800 staff cuts, saying "we believe not only legally, but also morally, the SABC was obliged to inform us that they contemplate cutting at least 800 jobs".

"We have seeked urgent legal advice and possible intervention to ensure your rights will be protected at all times. The process seems to be advanced if a number of at least 800 jobs have been decided on, unless the SABC arbitrarily decided to simply cut a number of jobs."

"We do not believe the SABC would be able to function at all with 800 people less, as currently we have a shortage of staff in many areas. Be assured Bemawu will vehemently fight any job cuts at the SABC."

SABC at death's door as public broadcaster's inability to pay producers is 'the worst it has ever been' - report.

The embattled South African public broadcaster is at death's door and once again hovering on the verge of collapse, owing over R90 million to independent local production companies it can't pay and R100 million in total to over 64 companies, the City Press newspaper reported on Sunday.

According to the report's sources the SABC's inability to pay producers supplying content to the SABC the situation is "the worst it's ever been".

It follows after the struggling SABC in the week literally told producers in a letter sent on 30 July, literally a day before they were supposed to be paid, that the SABC once again - as happened in mid-2017 - is out of cash and can't pay them.

While the SABC told producers that the broadcaster is scrambling to try and find money to pay them in a new payment plan, nobody knows where the broadcaster's new CEO, Madoda Mxakwe and chief financial officer Yolande van Biljon will be able to find the money in two week's time to settle millions of rand in overdue payments to producers.

Producers meanwhile have sent the SABC over the last few months letters of demand and notices breach of contract for not paying production companies what they're owed, on time, while the bloated SABC sitting with an oversized staff, are once again busy with salary hike negotiations with unions.

Earlier in the week, SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said the SABC won't be talking about the SABC's crisis and failure to pay producers in public, although the issue is in the public eye and being reported on.

According to the City Press report, sources blame the destruction on the the famously matricless and now-fired former chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng until he was fired in 2017 wreaked on the SABC during his chaotic tenure during a period marked by financial and fiscal chaos, mismanagement and corruption, SABC News censorship, a litany of firings in the newsroom and content divisions, SABC board instability and an overall lack of governance at the broadcaster.

Advertising income of the SABC's radio stations and TV channels, especially the struggling SABC3 have plummeted, because of a fall in listenership and viewership as well as lower than usual listenership growth, meaning less advertising revenue for the broadcaster since ad rates are pegged to ratings.

The disastrous SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC Encore (DStv 156) the two channels the SABC produce for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform exclusively using public broadcaster resources and content, have also deteriorated further, with the contract that will be running out at the end of August and that hasn't yet been renewed, that is up for possible renewal.

SABC fires 2 more alleged 'Hlaudi Motsoeneng enforcers' with high-level managers Sully Motsweni and Mzu Ndlovu who are both gonners.

The SABC has fired 2 more high-level managers and alleged "Hlaudi Motsoeneng enforcers", with former SABC Sport boss Sully Motsweni facing charges of fraud and corruption, and human resources manager Mzu Ndlovu who got the boot and are gonners from the South African public broadcaster.

Sunday World first reported about the firing of Sully Motsweni and Mzu Ndlovu. The SABC says that "the SABC can confirm that Mzu Ndlovu and Sully Motsweni's employment contracts have been terminated".

Sully Motsweni, the former SABC Sport boss, is in the dock on charges of alleged corruption and allegedly looting the SABC by taking family like her mother, kids and friends on jetset luxury trips using the SABC credit card.

Both Sully Motsweni and Mzu Ndlovu were suspended months ago and were allegedly enforcers of the SABC's famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who unleashed chaos, financial destruction, and censorship inside the SABC during his management reign of terror.