Like a recycled Pick n Pay packet former SABC CEO quitter, Lulama Mokhobo suddenly pops up as one of 24 shortlisted candidates for SABC board vacancies.

Like one of the recycled Pick n Pay packets - the new blue ones - the former SABC CEO quitter, Lulama Mokhobo has popped up as one of the 24 shortlisted candidates for the 8 vacant SABC board seats.

Lulama Mokhobo who quit as SABC CEO barely two years after she was appointed in 2012 because she couldn't cope with the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, now wants to be on the SABC board at a time where the crumbling South African public broadcaster is facing even bigger and more severe problems that when she had an Auckland Park corner office.

When Lulama Mokhobo quit as SABC CEO in February 2014, it was the second time she went away from the SABC.

Now Lulama Mokhobo is back for a third try, wanting to be involved with the SABC hovering on the edge of a financial cliff, when she'd left before when the going gets tough.

On Thursday, following criticism for not doing what it promised the public and the TV industry, parliament's portfolio committee on communications finally released the shortlisted 24 names who will be interviewed to fill the 8 empty seats on the unstable and inquorate SABC board.

Another candidate, Mary Papayya, is a former journalist and executive member of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef).

Itani Tsiesi is die SABC's former group executive for risk and governance. In 2016 during parliament's inquiry into the SABC, he explained how disastrous the tenures of the former SABC chairpersons Mbulaheni Maguvhe, Ellen Tshabalala and Ben Ngubane were.

Gift Buthelezi is a former director general at the department of telecommunications and postal Services.

In 2017 Gift Buthelezi was involved in a legal fight with the then-minister of telecommunications Siyabonga Cwele for allegedly spending R4.3 million to organise an international conference in the Eastern Cape in 2012 but the lawsuit was later withdrawn.

Mmabatho Ramagoshi is a former provincial general manager of the SABC in Gauteng as was a former chariperson of the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF).

Mfanozwele Shozi was part of a SABC commission looking into allegations of sexual harassment at the South African public broadcaster that found that SABC management ignored complaints of harassment and deliberately conspired to protect perpetrators and predators.

The names of the shortlisted candidates will be published on parliament's website and interviews are set to be conducted from 5 to 7 March.

Here are the 24 names:

Gift Buthelezi

Mary Papayya

Itani Tseisi

Rowan Nicholls

Mfanozwele Shozi

Nokuzola Ehrens

Mmabatho Ramagoshi

William Malema Ramoshaba

Maria Socikwa

Lulama Mokhobo

Motshedi Lekalakala

Nkosana Mbokana

Mathews Mofokeng

Mamodupi Mohlala-Molaudzi

Jasmina Patel

Bernedette Muthien

Nakedi Ribane

Siphile Buthelezi

Sathasivan Cooper

David Maimela

Lufuno Nevondwe

Sembie Danana

Chief Livhuwani Matsila

Mpiyakhe Mkholo

Democratic Alliance reveals explosive transcript of 'clandestine' SABC meeting where then MultiChoice CEO Imtiaz Patel allegedly says DStv would pay SABC to support change to the government's digital TV in favour of MultiChoice.

The Democratic Alliance's member of parliament Phumzile Van Damme has revealed an explosive transcript of what it calls a "clandestine" SABC meeting on 6 June 2013 - suggesting that the pay-TV operator MultiChoice sought to pay the SABC R100 million for its 24-hour SABC News (DStv 404) channel in exchange for the SABC's influence to change South Africa's digital terrestrial TV process in favour of MultiChoice.

Phumzile Van Damme says the minutes form part of hundreds of documents provided by the SABC in December 2016 to the ad hoc committee on the SABC inquiry.

According to the DA, the transcript of the SABC meeting support allegations in media reports last week that MultiChoice paid the controversial Gupta family millions of rand for its highly-criticised ANN7 (DStv 405) channel on DStv, in exchange for similar influence over the government's position on set-top boxes (STBs).

The release of the meeting's transcript awkwardly comes on the day that Naspers, MultiChoice's parent company, is releasing its interim results, with Naspers chairperson Koos Bekker who has not yet come out publicly to announce any possible investigation by Naspers into the flurry of allegations.

MultiChoice is the latest company to be caught up in the messy dealings of the now-notorious Gupta family embroiled in allegations of State Capture in South Africa.

According to the DA political party, the SABC minutes reveal a "clandestine" meeting attended by the former SABC board members and executives, including the nowdisgraced Ellen Tshabalala, the controversial and shamed Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Lulama Mokhobo who quit as SABC CEO, and Jimi Matthews who eventually quit as acting SABC CEO, with the then CEO of MultiChoice, Imtiaz Patel.

Imtiaz Patel is at pains during the meeting to explain that MultiChoice doesn't ordinarily pay TV stations for their news channels to be carried on DStv, but that he would be able to convice the MultiChoice board to pay for the SABC's SABC News channel, if a set of "deal breaker conditions" in MultiChoice's favour were met.

During the meeting Imtiaz Patel tells the SABC:

“We would not normally pay for a news channel. Okay. We don’t. There’s a unique relationship with e.tv that everybody espouses etc. It’s got unique conditions. They’re supposed to supply us with many more channels and it’s quite tricky at this point in time. But, besides that we don’t pay for any other news channel, anyway, Okay.”

Imtiaz Patel goes on to say:

“…we need to justify to our Board to say why would we pay you R100 million a year which is a lot of money. Okay. It’s after tax money. To make R100m net you have to make R150m or R200m, R300m in turnover. We are looking for the excuse and the excuse for us is to be able to justify to our Board that you are giving us something in return. 

What are you giving us in return for the R100m? We’re saying you giving us a news channel, you’re giving us a general entertainment channel from your archives, your old, you know. We are less focused on the core elements of it being new content. And we’ve been sort of quite open about it with Lulama, saying even if it’s old stock. 

And thirdly, we are saying we also need to justify this problem of conditional access [unencrypted set-top boxes] is a big problem. And in order to justify that we’re saying in addition to that, your additional channels will be available on our platform.”

Imtiaz Patel also says:

So, in addition to the R100m in cash, you will be getting a lot of advertising revenue, probably the equivalent, even more, I don’t know, I don’t know the details, I don’t know to what extent, you know, given that kind of base, how much you can monetise it. 

In return, we can justify to our Board that, we are paying this extraordinary sum of money but we are getting something for it. That was the simple logic that we applied in our own minds. So I’m giving you a sense and therefore I’m hoping that if we can co-create a solution, we are also happy to co-create a solution. 

We are not coming here saying this is, you know, this is the be all and end all, you know. But I must say though, Lulama, that this is the very important point for us. It’s a deal breaker point, I’ll be honest. And I have re-iterated it. I have said this to you before. 


The DA in a statement about the meeting's transcript says that "the implications of MultiChoice paying kickbacks in order to not solidify its dominance in the pay-TV sector, but also secure influence over government policy in its favour, are serious".

"It speaks to a company willing to stop at nothing, including paying kickbacks to the Gupta family, thus supporting State Capture, in order to get its way".

The DA in its statement says that "while companies should be allowed the space to conduct business in a free market system, there must be adherence to business ethics and the law."

"This matter, and in particular the payments, now require thorough investigation by the South African broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa). The DA has written to Icasa requesting an investigation," says the party.

"The DA had hoped that following media reports about ANN7 last week, MultiChoice would take the opportunity to play open cards by revealing all."

"It refused to do so. It is now left to Icasa to reveal the truth."

MultiChoice in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus seeking comment from the company after the Democratic Alliance meeting and transcript release, says: "“This was not a clandestine meeting. No kickbacks were paid. This was part of a negotiation meeting with the SABC. The final decision on this proposal lay with the SABC board".

The SABC has also been approached for comment about the DA party's statement and the transcript of the SABC meeting, and the public broadcaster's reaction will be added here when received.


Other fascinating titbits from the transcript reveals:

- According to the transcript, Lulama Mokhobo is clearly on such friendly terms that she uses the nickname "Imi" for Imtiaz Patel in the meeting, instead of his full name.

- Nolo Letele, MultiChoice South Africa chairperson, also attended the meeting.

- The then SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala tells MultiChoice: "Since you have presented this condition [unencrypted access], if you can just give a day for us to bounce it to the minister of communications, because we have an unclear position on the matter':

- Then MultiChoice CEO Imtiaz Patel reveals that MultiChoice and the SABC previously wanted to do an agreement in terms of Olympic Games broadcast coverage: "'Unfortunately your previous board, its easy to ... we can rubbish them now, they’re gone. But they didn't sign the agreement unfortunately".

- The then SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo is clearly hungering after the premium type pay-TV channel content for the SABC that is available to DStv's pay-TV subscribers. 

She tells Imtiaz Patel: "It will be good for us to get PBS [public broadcasting system] type content, something like the History Channel, Discovery Channel - those kinds of channels, the ones that really talk to us". 

- Jimi Matthews to MultiChoice deadpans on getting the SABC News channel up and running: "I engage with the bureaucracy of this place [SABC]'.

The then SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo then responds: "Oh, Jimmy."

- The then SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala: "I want to request that we keep this matter confidential" and says: "We know how print media reacts to this kind of thing".

Minute of the Meeting Between the SABC MultiChoice 6 June 2013 by Thinus on Scribd

Former SABC CEO quitter Lulama Mokhobo resurfaces as one of 13 candidates who now wants to be on the broadcasting regulator's council.

Several candidates were interviewed this week in South Africa's parliament for vacant positions on the council of the country's broadcasting regulator, Icasa.

Candidates appeared before parliament's portfolio committee on communications in Cape Town for interviews as possible replacements for empty seats on the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa's (Icasa) Council.

The former SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo resurfaced who infamously quit after just a few months because she was unable to cope at the South African broadcaster where the controversial and famously matricless executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng usurped her authority.

Also interviewed were the former e.tv executive Natalie-Ann Delport who raised eyebrows when she told the portfolio committee that she wants MultiChoice to lower the subscription fees for DStv.

Natalie-Ann Delport failed to explain how she wants DStv subscription fees to be lowered, or why as a would-be Icasa council member she is unsupportive of a free market economy within South Africa's broadcasting industry as far as private broadcasting operators are concerned.

The experienced broadcasting expert and academic Kate Skinner is also on the list and was a former co-ordinator of the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS Coalition) public pressure group advocating for good public broadcasting in South Africa.

15 candidates were shortlisted for interviews but 2 - Prof Onkaetse Mmusi and Themba Phiri - withdrew.

The other candidates are Thembeka Simane, Andrew Phetho, Adv Cawekazi Mahlati, Dr Mashilo Boloka, Nomonde Gongxeka-Seope, Rubben Mohlaloga, Thabo Makhakhe, Peter Hlapolosa, Ashraf Patel and Phosa Mashangoane. 

Candidates were asked about the South African government's long-delayed and failed digital terrestrial television (DTT) project, broadcasting licences, and broadcasting regulation and legislation.

SABC pays out R42,6 million in golden handshakes the past 6 years to get rid of executives; enough for 26 415 annual SABC TV licence renewals.

The SABC has paid out R42,6 million in golden handshakes over the past 6 years to executives leaving the embattled South African public broadcaster - enough for 26 415 annual SABC TV licence renewals.

The country's public broadcaster has made it rain to the tune of R42,6 million in golden handshakes for executives leaving the SABC over the past 6 years, the minister of communications Faith Muthambi has revealed in parliament in reply to a question from the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Former SABC CEO Dali Mpofu was the biggest money getter - receiving a whopping severance pay-out totalling R6,7 million as well as an additional R4,4 million in a restraint of trade payment and an additional R2,1 million in legal fees, bringing the total to a massive R13,2 million golden handshake payout.

The former SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo who abruptly quit without giving reasons less than a year (11 months) after taking over as the top executive at the beleaguered broadcaster was paid out a massive R5,6 million after not finishing her 5 year contract. It included a R4,2 million agreed separation payment and a R1,4 million restraint of trade payment.

Other SABC executives who got millions of rands from the public broadcaster to go away was the former SABC head of news Phil Molefe, paid R4,9 million to leave in 2013.

Phil Molefe was forced out says Gavin Davis, the DA's member of parliament and member of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, because he allegedly refused to bow to political pressure to blacklist Julius Malema from the airwaves.

The SABC's former acting chief operating officer (COO) Christine Mampane got R4,3 million and the former SABC CEO Solly Mokoetle took home R3,8 million.

Solly Mokoetle is now the head of South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration project at the department of communications.

Others rolling in the money after leaving the SABC with golden handshakes include former SABC secretary Thelma Melk (R3 million), Zaiboonisha Jones (R1.7 million), Rapitse Montsho (R1.2 million), Jackie Motsepe (R882 000), Christopher David (R800 000) and Khulekelwe Mbonambi (R623 000).

"The amount paid to executives whose contracts are terminated prematurely averages out at R7 million per year. This is the equivalent of 26 415 annual TV licence renewals," says Gavin Davis in a statement.

"In virtually all of these cases, the executives receiving the payouts were purged for political reasons."

"As with other public entities, SABC executives are hired on the basis of their perceived loyalty to the dominant faction of the ANC instead of their ability to do the job. When deployed cadres fall out of political favour, they get dumped with a massive payout to soften the landing."

"This constant churn of deployed cadres is the reason why the SABC lurches from one crisis to the next," says Gavin Davis.

Even the ANC now acknowledges that there's a leadership crisis at the SABC. In its recent NGC discussion paper, the ANC says "the series of crises at the public broadcaster reflect a lack of leadership, lack of accountability and poor management."

The ANC says there's been a lack of "attention to holding those responsible to account for the financial and organisational maladministration that has brought the public broadcasting institution into crisis".

New SABC CEO Frans Matlala: Broadcaster will be 'telling the truth but balancing the perspective'; political parties react to his appointment.

The new SABC CEO Frans Matlala says the South African public broadcaster going forward will tell the truth but be "balancing the perspective" and that he will be spending the next 3 months talking to various people to find out what happened at the SABC in the past and what issues there are.

Frans Matlala was announced as the new permanent SABC CEO yesterday at the broadcaster's Auckland Park headquarters, a year and five months after Lulama Mokhobo quit just a few months into her five year contract.

Frans Matlala, who is a supporter and ally of the SABC's controversial and brash famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng and who was an advisory consultant for the SABC for a year, admitted that there was room for improvement at the beleaguered SABC.

The public broadcaster has been lurching constantly from crisis to crisis and scandal tot scandal since 2009 when it came to the brink of financial collapse and got a billion rand bailout in the form of a government guaranteed loan from Nedbank.

Frans Matlala, the umpteenth CEO to take the reigns at the SABC since 2009, has to try and rightsize the broadcasting behemoth.

The SABC - fraught with ongoing insider politics, executive and SABC board room power struggles and growing perception concerns about news bias, maladministration and undue political interference - faces big internal challenges.

There's also the looming and expensive switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) which the SABC will now only start with a paltry 5 TV channels one of which will be the rerun channel SABC Encore (DStv 156), as well as complex and difficult questions over the future funding of the public broadcaster.  

"Over the next 100 days I'm going to spend time with the SABC executive team, and of course I'll spend time with the SABC board and different people outside the organisation, including the minister of communications Faith Muthambi, parliament's portfolio committee of communications and different stakeholders so that I can appraise myself of things that have happened in the past, current realities, as well as future issues that I need to be aware of," said Frans Matlala.

Frans Matlala very closely echoed president Jacob Zuma's speech last month he gave at the SABC media launch event when the broadcasting footprint of the SABC's 24-hour TV news channel, SABC News (DStv 404) on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform, was extended into several African countries.

"I think it's important that we take advantage of the role and the opportunity we have to be able to serve the nation and Africa as a continent and lead that narrative. And it's a narrative of telling the truth but at the same time balancing the perspective that we put on the table," said Frans Matlala.

Political parties in South Africa reacted over the appointment of Frans Matlala.

The ANC congratulated Frans Matlala. "The appointment of a CEO for the SABC is long overdue and therefore we congratulate him on his appointment and wish him well in his position particularly in terms of continuing to deepen the mandate of the SABC as a public broadcaster," said the ANC.

The Congress of the People (COPE) said it doesn't support Frans Matlala's appointment as SABC CEO.

"He is a close ally of Hlaudi Motsoeneng. We don't think that there will be any changes because Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still be in control. This man will only be a flower pot and Hlaudi Motsoeneng will still run the show," said COPE.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it tentatively welcomes the appointment of Frans Matlala, but cautioned that Frans Matlala will have to "put Hlaudi Motsoeneng in his place".

"The new SABC CEO is not Hlaudi Motsoeneng. This, in itself, is a positive development," said Gavin Davis, DA MP.

"Frans Matlala has an opportunity to learn from the experiences of his predecessor, Lulama Mokhobo, who resigned as CEO after just 11 months. The Public Protector found that her position was made untebale by Hlaudi Motsoeneng's campaign to bully and undermine her."

"The key to Frans Matlala's success in this new role is for him to quickly stamp his authority as the top administrator at the SABC. Already the signs are good that Frans Matlala will put Hlaudi Motsoeneng in his place."

"There are some question marks around the process to appoint Frans Matlala. With only 6 members, the SABC board is three short of the quorum it requires to make legally binding decisions such as the appointment of a new CEO," said Gavin Davis.

BREAKING. Frans Matlala appointed as the new permanent CEO of the SABC, says he needs 'to acknowledge the honour I've been given'.

Frans Matlala has been appointed as the SABC's new CEO, saying "I need to acknowledge the honour I've been given".

Frans Matlala, a banking executive and consultant to the SABC for project management and strategic advisory services, has been a keen supporter of the SABC's controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng,

The appointment comes almost a year and a half since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 after just 14 months into her 5 year contract without any explanation.

Like Eskom, South African Airways and the South African Post Office, the SABC's new CEO faces  a daunting and herculean task to try and right the struggling broadcaster which came to the brink of financial collapse in 2009.

Frans Matlala becomes the SABC's 9th CEO - including those who were appointed in an acting capacity in the position for a period of time - to be in charge of the public broadcaster since 2009.

Over the past 6 years several SABC CEO's left before their terms ended, several got golden handshakes of millions of rand when leaving and several took legal action when their contracts were terminated.

The appointment of a permanent CEO at the SABC is crucial to try and repair stability at the beleaguered public broadcaster which keeps lurching from crisis to crisis and which is constantly battered by a barrage of bad press.

Serious concern has also been growing the past two years about the SABC news coverage; the unstable SABC board lost several members, and former chairperson Ellen Tshabalala was forced to step down in December 2014 after she exposed for lying about fake tertiary qualifications she didn't have.

In April ongoing concern was raised in parliament over the SABC's audience share which is flat at 53%.

The SABC also wasted R3.39 billion on irregular spending in three years according to the Auditor General (AG) and the public broadcaster has so far received 4 consecutive annual qualified audits from the AG.

Since Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit in February 2014 after just 14 months into her 5 year contract without any explanation, the SABC has been without a CEO for a year and five months until now.

That left Hlaudi Motsoeneng in charge as the next highest ranking SABC executive, himself embroiled in litigation over his appointment and fingered in a scathing report from the Public Protector, implicating him in maladministration, corruption and abuse of power at the SABC.

Frans Matlala's held a number of senior executive positions at places like Standard Bank, African Life SA, First National Bank and South African Breweries, and lists a graduate diploma in engineering, a B.Sc in chemistry and a M.Sc degree.

Frans Matlala's studied at the University of Cape Town, Duke University and Wits.

SABC advertises for new CEO and chief financial officer (CFO) positions; promises 'a highly competitive package with attractive incentives'.

The SABC is advertising the position for a new CEO for the beleaguered South African public broadcasting, as well as for a new permanent chief financial officer (CFO) following a protracted and acrimonious executive battle behind the scenes.

Lulama Mokhobo quit in February as the umpteenth SABC CEO to suddenly up and leave and not finish a CEO contract, without the SABC giving reasons as a public broadcaster.

In March the SABC fired Gugu Duda as acting CFO. She was suspended in September 2012 at the SABC in relation to procurement and financial irregularities.

Now the SABC is looking for a replacement for both positions.

While the SABC's second highest executive in charge, the acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng is famously matricless - and according to a damning Public Protector's report released in February "should never have been appointed at the SABC" - the SABC states as a "prerequisite" that the CEO must have a postgraduate degree, preferably "MBA/MSc or similar equivalent experience".

The SABC CEO must be "a strategic leader, visionary, mentor and coach, as well as a good problem solver". "Knowledge of the media industry will be a major advantage," says the SABC and at least 10 years senior management experience is required.

The SABC promises "a highly competitive package with attractive incentives".

For the CFO position the SABC says the broadcaster "is experiencing a slow but steady economic recovery, but will continue to be challenged in meeting ongoing demands placed on it by the public mandate and the demandsof migrating to digital broadcasting".

The new CFO will have to therefore "provide progressive leadership, excellent financial skills and strong administration capabilities".

"The new CFO will need to initiate creative ways of funding the strategy of the corporation" and will have to work with the CEO and COO in finding new funding opportunities.

The closing date is 12 May.

SABC fires Gugu Duda as acting chief financial officer - replaced with James Aguma; Tian Olivier is the new acting CEO as stop-gap measure.

The spate of dismissals and firings of top executives seen the past half a decade at the SABC continues as a running theme at the South African public broadcaster which summarily fired its acting chief financial officer Gugu Duda and replaced her with James Aguma.

After Lulama Mokhobo dumped the SABC as CEO in February after finishing just two years of her five year contract and after the SABC couldn't say who the new acting CEO is since March, Tian Olivier (pictured) is now the acting CEO as a stop-gap measure at the broadcaster.

Since 2008 the SABC's senior management has been in a constant state of unstable flux, with senior executives constantly being hired and fired at top level, including resignations, dismissals, draw-out labour court disputes and multi-million rand payouts by the SABC due to unfair dismissals, golden handshakes and to simply get rid of former executives after relationships turned acrimonious.

A new year at the SABC means new executives and new executives in acting positions.

The SABC has not yet advertised the position of chief financial officer for a permanent replacement (with the famously matricless Hlaudli Motsoeneng in the position) - a position which has not been filled by the SABC since 2006 and for the past seven years.

However James Aguma now assumes the position of acting CFO. He is an Ugandan chartered accountant.

Gugu Duda, a chartered accountant, has been dismissed and sent packing on Wednesday. She was suspended in September 2012 at the SABC in relation to procurement and financial irregularities.

Tian Olivier has himself been the acting chief financial officer at the SABC before. James Aguma joined the SABC in 2013 as the general manager for strategy and governance in Hlaudi Motsoeneng's office.

Tian Olivier has also been the head of audience services at the SABC. "It is imperative that at this stage we provide support to the two acting executives who have just been appointed," says Ellen Tshabala, the SABC board chairperson in a statement. 

BREAKING. The SABC without a CEO is unable and unwilling to say who is acting as CEO at the South African public broadcaster.

More than half a month after Lulama Mokhobo has been gone at the end of February, after dumping the SABC as SABC CEO, the South African public broadcaster is unable and unwilling to say who the acting CEO is of the rudderless corporation.

The SABC without a CEO is also a flagrant transgression of South Africa's Broadcasting Act.

The SABC is refusing to answer basic media enquiries asking who is acting as CEO at the struggling public broadcaster which lost yet another CEO - its fifth - in as many years.

Meanwhile controversy is swirling around the SABC's second highest executive, the famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng who in a recorded interview with the Public Protector admitted he lied about having matric and made up fake matric symbols.

A month has lapsed since the release of the report and the SABC and the SABC board has not removed nor suspended Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The SABC has not responded to a media enquiry asking what actions the SABC or the SABC board has taken the past month over a scathing independent PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report revealing a lack of skills at the SABC, as well as the Public Protector's report revealing abuse of power, maladministration, fraud and corruption at the SABC.

Asked who is leading the SABC as acting CEO, the SABC told TV with Thinus that "an official communique will be released, until then there will be no further comment".

The SABC isn't saying when it will release this "communique" and isn't able or willing to answer a basic question regarding corporate governance at the public broadcaster which keeps being rocked by management scandals.

"Currently the SABC is without a CEO, which is unacceptable, irresponsible and a transgression of the Broadcasting Act," says the two trade unions Bemawu and the CWU.

It also appears that the SABC wants to place an SABC board member in charge of the broadcaster by having a board member act as acting CEO.

Bemawu and the CWU warn that if the SABC does this, it will be "in conflict with the corporate governance principles, since SABC board members are not employees of the SABC, and as such do not qualify to fill positions of executives in whatever capacity".

BREAKING. Thuli Madonsela on the quitting SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo: 'It was clear that she was on her way out'.

South Africa's Public Protector Thuli Madonsela says she doesn't know why the SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo abruptly quit at the beginning of this month, but that "it was clear that she was on her way out".

Lulama Mokhobo is fingered as one of the SABC executives implicated and mentioned in the Public protector's damning final report released on Monday morning regarding fraud, wrongdoing, maladministration, irregularities and abuse of power at the SABC.

Lulama Mokhobo decided to quit having served just over two years of her five year contract at the SABC and the SABC has given no reason, saying its "private and confidential".

Thuli Madonsela appeared on Monday night on ANN7 (DStv 405) and was interviewed by ANN7 Prime news anchor Chantal Rutter Dros.

"I don't know why she resigned," said Thuli Madonsela. "What I do know is that during the interview it was clear that she was on her way out - as was the case with five SABC CEO's before her".

"I have only one finding against Lulama Mokhobo, that she authorised one of the salary increments of Hlaudi Motsoeneng without following what is in the Articles of Association of the SABC and the human resources policies that govern the SABC".

"Until the SABC decided exactly what is the role of the SABC chairperson, the role of the SABC CEO, and the role of the chief operating officer (COO), we'll see more CEO's come and go at the SABC," Thuli Madonsela said on ANN7.


ALSO READ: The matricless liar Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC, the Public Protector's report finds.
ALSO READ: The SABC's matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng "unilaterally increased the salaries of certain SABC staff members, adding to the R29 million more in the salary bill.
ALSO READ: The SABC's matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is a fraud, "pathological" SABC needs to fill permanent COO position with a suitably qualified person.
ALSO READ: Will the SABC's matricless liar and acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng be suspended? It will leave the SABC without a CEO and a COO.
ALSO READ: Thuli Madonsela on the matricless liar Hlaudi Motsoeneng: "He was 23 at the time, but continued with that misrepresentation again in 2003".

BREAKING. SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng: 'We have plan for future. Not quick-wins. We have plan for future. We have put our strategy in place'.

The SABC's famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says: "We have plan for future".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC chairperson Zandile Tshabalala, the group executive for human resources Jabulani Mabaso and the SABC's quitting CEO Lulama Mokhobo held a hastily convened press conference at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters in Johannesburg today.

On Thursday the SABC top brass they tried to douse the flames, following a scathing independent skills audit report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) described by parliament as "shocking", "very worrying" and "a reality check" - and the resultant barrage of news coverage it elicited.

According to the skills audit report read in parliament, SABC personnel "do not trust the SABC's management team, or the SABC board" and question "the ability of the above-mentioned and demonstrate a negative attitude towards the organisation".

According to the report there's more than 2 200 SABC staff of which the SABC has no proof on file that they actually passed matric.

SABC employees have now also been uncovered to have fraudulent matric and Grade 10 certificates. There's also more than a 100 SABC staff at the SABC of which the broadcaster has no personnel file.

The skills audit at the SABC found that almost two thirds (62%) of the SABC's employee files had qualifications that's "not authentic" or were "incomplete". Of 24 SABC people the consultants could not find a matric certificate or a Grade 10 certificate, or it was "fraudulent" or "non-compliant".

The SABC on Thursday at its press conference said the report is old. The SABC's Jabulani Mabaso said the audit report is "not a true reflection" of the SABC and that it deviated from the brief.

It's not clear why the SABC, if the report is old as the South African public broadcaster claims, was still presented to parliament.

It's not clear why the SABC, if it knew what the skills audit report contained, didn't pre-organise a press conference for Cape Town on Tuesday or Wednesday to put the matter into perspective then - or why the SABC didn't pro-actively issue press statements on what it knew was going to be presented to parliament on Tuesday before the story blew up.

On Thursday the SABC, reactively, blasted news coverage on the SABC's dismal audit report during its press conference as "insulting" and "demeaning".

As Lulama Mokhobo is getting ready to leave the SABC as the 6th CEO in as many years at the end of February without a ready replacement, Zandile Tshabalala said at the press conference to journalists that "Right now I want you to go, knowing that SABC is stabilising".

"We have a plan for future," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng at the press conference. "Not quick-wins. We have a plan for future. We have put our strategy in place. The board is zooming on our strategy to say moving forward this is what you are going to do for the coming three years, for the coming 10 years."

BREAKING. Parliament rips into the SABC: 'What EXACTLY have you been doing for the past 8 years???'

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Parliament today ripped into the SABC and its lame-duck quitting SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo who appeared before it with other SABC executives including its famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as acting chief operations officer (COO), to report back on a dismal independent skills audit report on the SABC.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications - the body tasked with oversight of the beleaguered and embattled South African public broadcaster - on Tuesday slammed into the SABC, as members of the committee wanted to know what on earth the SABC had been doing for the past 8 years.

The committee who was shocked with the findings of the independent consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). According to the PwC skills audit 104 SABC staff don't even have a personnel file.

Half (50%) of the SABC's managers don't show adequate levels of problem solving, the PwC skills audit of the SABC showed. The audit showed that 35% of senior SABC managers disregard financial information.

The report found "manipulative abuse at the SABC". The audit was carried out across 842 job titles at the SABC.

The report highlighted how unready in their view the SABC apparently is for the switch-over from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) in South Africa and digital broadcasting.

"The SABC don't have the skills! What have you've been doing for the past 6, 7, 8 years?" said Marian Shinn, the DA's member of parliament and shadow minister of communications.

"Everytime we go to the SABC they say we just need to flip the switch and we've gone digital with television. No. You haven't. You don't have the skills. You don't have the equipment."

"The archive hasn't even started going digital. You don't even yet know if you're going to do your digital content production internally or externally - apart from news and sport which you're going to be doing internally," said Marian Shinn.

"One wonders why you keep saying you can do this when clearly you can't. The archive is going nowhere digitally. And it has an impact with the deal with MultiChoice which basically went into the deal with you so they could access your archives. And you haven't even started with that."

"And you should have gone live with your live SABC Entertainment TV channel in November 2013 which was going to use those archive material. So what exactly have you guys been doing for the past eight years?"

"One hears Lulama Mokhobo say there's going to be a great turnaround-strategy at the SABC, and we're going to have a brand-new SABC. Not with the current skills set you've got in executive management."

"Six don't meet the minimum requirements for strategic thinking according to the report. What on earth makes you think that the current crop of executive management at the SABC can actually be entrusted with turning the SABC around?" asked Marian Shinn.

"Fifty percent at the SABC not able to demonstrate adequate levels of solving problems and making decisions. A further 15% only demonstrated marginal competence in strategic thinking. These are the people who are going to turn the SABC around. No, I don't think so!"

"The senior management at the SABC couldn't even be bothered to do the numeracy test that was required for a proper skills assessement. The entire senior management of the SABC is in a dire, dire state."

According to the report read in parliament, SABC personnel used for the skills audit "do not trust the SABC's management team, or the SABC board". "They question the ability of the above-mentioned and demonstrate a negative attitude towards the organisation which could negatively influence the total corporate culture at the SABC".

"What on earth makes you actually think you can turn this corporation around?" asked Marian Shinn. "Most of your staff don't actually do their work properly".

Juli Kilian, COPE's member of parliament called the independent skills audit report on the SABC "a reality check", "harsh and disconcerting" and the findings "really worrying".

"It is basic business principles that is not being applied - people being appointed who simply don't have the skills," said Butch Steyn, the Democratic Alliance's member of parliament and a member of the communications portfolio committee.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC is ready for switch-on for DTT. "We can switch it today. We are also producing soapies that you see - the Generations, your Muvhango's and others - so we have people with skills set at SABC".

Hlaudi Motsoeng told parliament on Tuesday that "SABC has done well". He said, "SABC is doing well. People are saying get partners from outside the country - BBC and others. We said 'no, we have relevant skills set within SABC."

Prof. Bongani Khumalo, SABC board member said in parliament that "it is not as bad; as dire, as it seems to be".

BREAKING. 104 SABC staff members don't even have a personnel file. SABC's state of HR department slammed as 'absolutely shocking'.

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104 SABC staff members at the beleaguered SABC don't even have a personnel file.

But make no mistake: They're definitely getting paid.

Parliament today ripped into the SABC and its lame-duck quitting SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo who appeared before it with a gaggle of other SABC executives including the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as acting chief operations officer (COO), to report back on the utterly dismal independent skills audit report on the SABC which was done by consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications - the body tasked with oversight of the beleaguered and embattled South African public broadcaster - on Tuesday slammed the SABC for the dreary situation when it comes to personnel issues, human resources matters and the shocking state of skills - or lack thereof among SABC personnel.

Half (50%) of the SABC's managers don't show adequate levels of problem solving, the PwC skills audit of the SABC showed. The audit showed that 35% of senior SABC managers disregard financial information.

The report found "manipulative abuse at the SABC". The audit was carried out across 842 job titles at the SABC.

The audit found that a significant number of SABC staff (577) had qualifications that's "not authentic" or were "incomplete". SABC staff's academic qualifications could not be verified in several cases - certificates were "not legibile" or the tertiary institutions they claimed to have attended don't exist.

"It's a concern that only 45% of the SABC staff has a sense of reliability and dependability in the work environment. Most of your staff at the SABC don't actually do their work properly," said Marian Shinn, the DA's member of parliament and shadow minister of communications, reading from the independently done skills audit report at the SABC.

"104 staff have no personnel file," said Mariann Shinn. "I bet those people are on the pay-roll though. "What do those people do to earn their money? The state of the human resources department is absolutely shocking".

"Basically the SABC is in a shocking state. I don't think that you're the right team to do this. There needs to be urgently action, but not with the current crop of executive managent," said Marian Shinn.

BREAKING. Lame-duck SABC CEO quitter Lulama Mokhobo who held a public office, tells parliament her reasons for leaving are confidential.

The lame-duck Lulama Mokhobo who quit as SABC CEO barely two years into her 5 year contract at the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, had the audacity on Tuesday to tell parliament's portfolio committee on communications that her reasons for quitting are personal and "confidential".

Lulama Mokhobo's million rand contract at the SABC is being paid by South Africans and every single TV viewer in the country are forced to pay an annual SABC TV licence.

As a public executive who held the highest executive management position at the South African public broadcaster, Lulama Mokhobo doesn't have the right to say her reasons are "confidential" and "personal". She is a public servant in a public office.

The SABC is also quiet on what exactly Lulama Mokhobo is getting as a pay-out, if anything for dumping the public broadcaster just over two years of her 5 year contract after she started in January 2011.

BREAKING. 'Very serious crisis'. 'Disturbing'. South Africa demands answers and accountability after Lulama Mokhobo quits as SABC CEO.

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Commentators and South African broadcasting experts are demanding answers and transparent accountability from the SABC and the secretive Lulama Mokhobo after she shockingly quit as SABC CEO refusing to give any reasons, plunging the South African public broadcaster back into a management and existential crisis.

The languishing SABC has been struggling since 2009 - when it came to the brink of financial collapse - with an ongoing lack of real and visionary leadership, a lack of broadcasting expertise as executives abandoned the broadcaster, mismanagement, corruption, a bloated personnel corps, censorship of news and commentators, and ongoing concern over eroding news values when it comes to impartiality.

William Bird, director at Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) calls Lulama Mokhobo quitting as SABC CEO after just over two years "a very serious crisis" and says the latest management upheaval at the beleaguered SABC "is very disturbing".

William Bird demands that the SABC and the secretive Lulama Mokhobo explain and provide reasons why she is leaving. "We need to know why she has resigned".

"It also leaves the SABC in an extremely concerning position in the run up to elections - a time when it's role in informing and educating citizens is even more critical".

"We now have a situation where the top five positions at the SABC are either vacant or have acting people. Some of them like the chief operating officer (COO) has been vacant for years! We are still waiting the outcome on the chief financial officer (CFO). We have an acting head of news".

"It is a very serious crisis," says William Bird. "It must set alarm bells ringing in every structure involved in broadcasting. The question we have to ask is whose interests does it serve to have an SABC in such a vulnerable state?"

"At this point it is critical that ordinary citizens stand up and demand explanations. We should also seriously consider the urgent appointment of an independent public editor to oversee the elections period. At this stage we need to investigate as wide an array of options as possible," says William Bird.

Kate Skinner, an independent broadcasting researcher and expert, and extremely knowledgeable regarding specifically the public broadcasting landscape in South Africa tells TV with Thinus that the ongoing instability at the SABC is a system failure.

She also implores South Africa to demand answers as to what is going on at the SABC.

"We are seeing ongoing failures from the side of all oversight structures, including the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) and parliament (parliament's portfolio committee on communications)."

"It is interesting to note that parliament and Icasa have not commented as yet on Lulama Mokhobo's resignation. We are not seeing any leadership. As the public we need to ask each oversight body what is happening and what are they doing about it."

"At the same time as asking the CEO, we need to ask what is happening with the positions of COO and CFO," says Kate Skinner.

The notable South African TV critic Tashi Tagg of TVSA said "yet another change in the SABC's senior executive? Someone please wake me up when the record changes!"

Colin Mackenzie from TshwaneTV and the secretary-general of the Association of Community Television South Africa (ACT-SA) which represents community TV stations and which forms part of the public broadcasting sphere in the country, says Lulama Mokhobo leaving the SABC "comes as a shock and a surprise".

"A stronger SABC and a more vibrant SABC is to the benefit of the public and community at large, enabling people to get access to much better information and in that the SABC has a huge role to play".

He says however that the SABC is doing good by not supporting the conditional access (CA) system for the looming digital terrestrial television (DTT) switch-over, "and I commend the SABC for saying no to that".

Colin Mackenzie says he feels that the SABC's current board is moving in the right direction. "Lulama Mokhobo was appointed and she resigned. Its her prerogative, she was employed and hired for a job and has the right to move and leave when she wants".

Sekoetlane Phamodi, spokesperson for the SOS Coalition, a broad-based public interest, pressure group for public broadcasting in South Africa tells TV with Thinus that "We simply cannot accept this resignation."

"It would mean that at this critical time, three months ahead of an election, the SABC is left with no permanent senior executives and, consequently, no real leadership to ensure that the people of South Africa have a public broadcaster that can meet their information needs".

"The people of South Africa, to whom the SABC is entirely beholden, deserve more than this. We deserve an accountable SABC and a stable SABC staffed with permanent and visionary leadership at the highest levels. In short, an SABC that works," says Sekoetlane Phamodi.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) of which the SABC is a member, declined comment when asked what the NAB makes of the loss of yet another CEO at the South African public broadcaster.

BREAKING. 19:16 - It takes SABC News 6 HOURS TO REPORT that its lame-duck CEO Lulama Mokhobo is quitting and bailing on the SABC.

Only at 19:16 on Monday evening, 3 February, the SABC News (DStv 404) finally, for the first time ran a TV report of just 60 seconds long, that it's own lame-duck CEO Lulama Mokhobo has quit without reasons - a full 6 HOURS after the beleaguered SABC issued a press statement and the news was reported on other news channels.

The extremely brief 60 second report on SABC News comes a full 6 hours after the SABC issued a press statement and news channels like eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405) reported the news.

The SABC News story on the embattled Lulama Mokhobo leaving the South African public broadcaster after barely finishing only two of her 5 year contract since she got the job in January 2012, contained zero comment from South Africa's TV industry, zero reasons why, no explanations or insight, and no perspective - as was given by other media organisations and TV news channels.

No SABC reporter or reporters asked any of the questions which needed to be asked.

The SABC News channel in its hour and a half daily primetime news bulletin on SABC News on Monday evening (also simulcast on SABC3) didn't have any studio guests, or any discussion about Lulama Mokhobo throwing in the towel and leaving the SABC rudderless during an important national election year.

Both eNCA and ANN7 TV news channels report that Lulama Mokhobo quits as SABC CEO; SABC News channel remains completely silent.

Both eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405) have reported that the SABC's Lulama Mokhobo is quitting as SABC CEO - but the South African public broadcaster's own 24-hour TV news channel, SABC News (DStv 404) has not said a word, filed a story, nor made an announcement since the SABC issued a press statement this afternoon.

While its natural to expect that the SABC would own and report best about their own news and own story, with SABC News and the SABC this is not the case.

Hours after the news has been announced that Lulama Mokhobo has dumped the SABC, SABC News still has to make any story available online on sabcnews.co.za, or report it on its own 24-hour TV news channel.

BREAKING. Lulama Mokhobo out at SABC as CEO; South African public broadcaster plunged into its biggest crisis ever.

Lulama Mokhobo has resigned from the SABC for the second time - this time leaving the South African public broadcaster as group CEO - and plunging the SABC into its biggest existential crisis since its inception.

Lulama Mokhobo will vacate her position as CEO at the end of this month, February. The SABC, as a public broadcaster, financed with public money and public licence fees, and Lulama Mokhobo who sat in the chair of CEO, is not willing to provide a reason.

The SABC told TV with Thinus when asked on Monday afternoon that the SABC, a publicly funded organisation, is "not at liberty" to say what the golden handshake payout will be for Lulama Mokhobo who couldn't even finish half of her contractually agreeed upon term.

The SABC told TV with Thinus that although the SABC is a public organisation and a public broadcaster that no reasons will be given as to why the CEO is secretively fleeing the organisation where she held public office.

The SABC said there is nobody taking over as yet as CEO or acting CEO since Lulama Mokhobo, already she already made it clear she is booking out and no longer wants to be at the SABC, will still in effect hold the position of CEO until the end of the month.

Lulama Mokhobo is jumping ship before the release of an extremely damaging final report by the public protector's office into widespread problems, corruption and mismanagement at the SABC.

This report will very likely implicate Lulama Mokhobo, and at the very least note things that were done wrong during her tenure at the struggling broadcaster the past two years with her at the helm, suggesting disciplinary action to be taken against her.

Lulama Mokhobo's tenure as highest ranking management executive will now be seen as yet another abject failure: Lulama Mokhobo is gone just two years after she was appointed as new chief executive officer at the SABC in January 2012 with a 5 year contract.

The stunning development and Lulama Mokhobo out as yet another ineffectual executive who couldn't right the SABC and finish out a CEO contract, leaves the shuddering SABC - which has done window-dressing since 2009 when the broadcaster came to the brink of financial collapse - now blatantly rudderless.

Since 2009 and even before, the SABC has had an ongoing massive struggle with a lack of leadership, broadcasting expertise as executives abandoned the broadcaster, rampant mismanagement, massive corruption, a bloated personnel corps, terrible quality broadcasting, blatant censorship of news stories and commentators, and ongoing concern over eroded news values when it comes to impartiality and skewed news.

Why this is the biggest crisis in the SABC's history is not because Lulama Mokhobo is leaving as CEO.

At the SABC, CEO's who've quit or are fired before the end of their term has become in fact de rigeur, but its that Lulama Mokhobo is walking away with so little respect as to not even explain or comment (and which shows her real lack of CEO mettle and leadership), within the context of how hollowed out the SABC's top corporate executive structure already is - and in a national, crucial election year for South Africa.

With Lulama Mokhobo gone as group CEO because she didn't want to do it anymore, five of the SABC's top senior executive management positions are vacant - filled by acting titled and the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as the enfant terrible with no real appropriate qualification, as the top "leader" in charge of running the SABC.

With Lulama Mokhobo gone from the SABC, besides a group CEO, the beleaguered South African public broadcaster doesn't have a real chief operating officer, financial officer, head of news or head of strategy - all acting or open positions - and in an election year where the broadcaster is expected to do news and reflect a broad variety of news, insight and perspective from across the political spectrum of the country.

The SABC says in a statement the SABC and Lulama Mokhobo "have amicably agreed to part ways," although inside sources say its due to Lulama Mokhobo not being able to work with Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Although the SABC is a public broadcaster, the SABC says Lulama Mokhobo's reasons for resigning and leaving the SABC as CEO after just two years, "are personal and confidential".

The SABC has the audacity to say in a statement that "we expect all stakeholders of the SABC to co-operate with her during this period and to give her the support that she requires."

The minister of communications, Yunus Carrim, says he is concerned about the ongoing instability at the SABC. "We are concerned about stability at the SABC and urge that the vacant senior posts be filled as soon as possible," says Yunus Carrim in a statement.

"We simply cannot accept this resignation as it would mean that at this critical time, three months ahead of an election, the SABC is left with no permanent senior executives and, consequently, no real leadership to ensure that the people of South Africa have a public broadcaster that can meet their information needs," Sekoetlane Phamodi, spokesperson for the SOS Coalition, a broad-based public interest, pressure group for public broadcasting in South Africa tells TV with Thinus.

"The people of South Africa, to whom the SABC is entirely beholden, deserve more than this," says Sekoetlane Phamodi. "We deserve an accountable SABC. A stable SABC staffed with permanent and visionary leadership at the highest levels. In short, an SABC that works".

While eNCA (DStv 403) and ANN7 (DStv 405)both reported the news that Lulama Mokhobo is out and quitting as the umpteenth SABC CEO to do so, SABC News (DStv 404), South Africa's 3rd 24-hour TV news channel who should have reported the news first, has still not reported the news or anything about it hours later.

BREAKING. Is Lulama Mokhobo out as group CEO at the SABC? The SABC quiet after sources say she's gone.

Lulama Mokhobo is apparently out as group CEO at the SABC, two separate sources told TV with Thinus early on Monday morning - with one source who told me over the phone that Lulama Mokhobo left yesterday.

It's the story I've been working since this morning, but as yet there's no official answer from the SABC as if to whether this is indeed the case.

The SABC has not been able to immediately confirm when I asked them on Wednesday morning whether Lulama Mokhobo had indeed left or resigned from the South African public broadcaster.

The SABC's spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago's cellphone was off since he was flying back to Johannesburg from Cape Town and couldn't return voicemail left.

I called again later on Wednesday and over the phone Kaizer Kganyago to me he just landed and that he wasn't aware that Lulama Mokhobo had resigned or that she is leaving the SABC. He said that he wasn't knowledgeable as to whether she has resigned.

Kaizer Kganyago told me Lulama Mokhobo didn't tell him anything when he saw her earlier this week.

Another SABC spokesperson also said she wasn't aware of news such as Lulama Mokhobo's resignation, and appropriately asked for more time to investigate the matter, when I quickly phoned this morning.

I also made an official written media enquiry to the SABC on Wednesday morning and remade it on Wednesday afternoon. The SABC's Kaizer Kganyago responded in a written reply that the SABC is not aware of a resignation by Lulama Makhobo.

Several other well-connected SABC insiders who I also called today and spoke to during the course of Wednesday, also said they knew nothing about Lulama Mokhobo leaving.

However I did then call yet another insider at the SABC who said workers are talking and that they were told she apparently "left yesterday". I have to stress that this cannot be confirmed at this point.

Also, another SABC insider told me early this morning that "Lulama Mokhobo is gone".

I have refrained from publishing a story and have been working the phones and sources both inside the SABC and out, for hours today since early this morning but have not published anything.

I decided to wait for either solid confirmation from a real solid source - or then publish nothing if it turned out to be just a rumour.

A lot of rumours float around in South Africa's TV biz on a daily basis - they don't all get reported. As a journalist your job and your responsibility - and one which I take very seriously - is to report the news. And as accurately as possible.

I follow up as many tips and rumours as I can on a daily basis and several turn out to be false - although I do the legwork of trying to verify information anyway, should something turn out to be true and a story.

So why am I now writing what I heard through the grapevine today about Lulama Mokhobo?

Because now DRUM magazine, working off of only a Tweet (what has the world come to?) and no real original source or even a second source, saying Lulama Mokhobo has resigned in a story written by Refiloe Lepere. 

(Real journalist only write stories when you have two independent of each sources who can back up the same story, especially when its impactful, big news.)

Refiloe Lepere uses as sole, unconfirmed source, the 140 characters from an SABC trade union boss, Hannes du Buisson and nothing more - who could have heard the news or the rumour from another secondary place. Who is to say it is true?

(And it could be, but its embarrassingly bad journalism to write it before being fully sure.)

Fin24 then picked up the DRUM story for their own story, using only DRUM - which is a tabloid publication - as its reference.

Fin24 then made it worse by quoting from a very old story from the trade publication Screen Africa when Lulama Mokhobo resigned back in 2010 from the SABC as head of public broadcast services, and inserted lifted material from that 3 years old story into its new story

Fin24 then says Screen Africa is saying Lulama Mokhobo has resigned - without actually doing real journalism like looking at the date. Fin24 did so before publishing, it would have seen that its not relevant because it's from her resignation from the SABC years ago).

Fin24 then made themselves look even more embarrassingly bad by now backtracking after publishing and altered and deleted the Screen Africa reference and information it took from there for its own story. Fin24 failed to indicate that its published story has been changed and how after publishing.

Fin24 even deleted some of the "facts" it took from the DRUM and Screen Africa quoting stories ... and altered the same story for a 3rd time late on Wednesday - a 3rd new headline with third copy rewriting inside the same story with zero indication of revisionist rewriting which is taking place inside the same article Fin24 rushed to publish.

Anyone who've watched the second season of The Newsroom can appreciate the insanity of badly done journalism in the mad quest to be first, without properly checking the news and having and working from real credible sources.

DRUM and Fin24 will now probably both hope as publications that a "fact" reported will hopefully become a fact proven true over the next day or so - just like The Newsroom.

Because there's that thing called credibility in journalism which is hard to come by - and so quick to trash through sloppy and low journalistic standards like rather waiting to get it right, than to just publish and rehash and rehash it afterwards to make it more correct.

Can we get some real journalism covering the TV industry in South Africa? Can we get and check facts and only report those?

Cringe, cringe, cringe, everywhere.

SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo disappointed that SABC's new 24-hour TV news channel isn't available to all, asks viewers to 'bear with us'.

The SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo says she is disappointed that the SABC's new 24-hour TV news channel, SABC News (DStv 404), isn't available to all all South African TV households who have to pay an SABC TV license, and is begging viewers to "please bear with us" until the TV news channel is made available freely once the long delayed digital terrestrial television (DTT) switch over happens.

SABC News, a public TV channel from the public broadcaster started broadcasting on Thursday evening on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform as part of that pay-TV service.

Lulama Mokhobo, interviewed on the SABC News channel, called the SABC News channel "one of my big things to tick off". She called the establishment of the SABC's second attempt at a 24-hour news channel "one frought with problems, mainly financial issues."

SABC News is the South Africa public broadcaster's second attempt at a 24-hour TV news channel after SABC News International was started in July 2007 and closed down three years later at the end of March 2010 after it became a money-guzzling expense which had burnt through hundreds of millions of rands.

"When MultiChoice came forward and said that as a private company they feel an obligation to support the SABC, we had a negotiating team led by Hlaudi Motsoeneng [the SABC's famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO)] who boxed it all together," said Lulama Mokhobo.

Lulama Mokhobo said she wants SABC News to "tell the full South African story". "People need to know the story behind the story. We've never been able to do it. And finally we can do it now. And the tendency has been to show only the negative news. It's time South Africans become proud of their country - not the doom and gloom and corruption."

"My huge disappointment," said Lulama Mokhobo is "that we wanted to start with every citizen having access [to the news channel]. Unfortunately there were no more free frequencies available which meant we need to wait for DTT to emerge."

"We realized that while we're waiting for DTT, the urgency was becoming bigger and bigger for us to do the right things. So we decided that we will go onto the MultiChoice platform. Hopefully it will be for a very short period. The second we switch oover to DTT, SABC News will be on DTT," said Lulama Mokhobo.

"So I want to ask the South Africans who have no access to DStv to bear with us, you are going to get access. And by that time hopefully we will have honed our skills so well, that by that time the broadcasts will be really, really amazing," said Lulama Mokhobo.