The cash-strapped SABC spent over R740 000 of SABC TV licence fee payers' money on a brand-new Audi Q5 for the controversial former SABC board chairperson, Mbulaheni Maguvhe.

The cash-strapped SABC spent over R740 000 of SABC TV licence fee payers' money on a brand-new Audi Q5 2.0 TDI for the controversial former SABC board chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe, while the South African public broadcaster was in serious financial trouble.

The Sunday Times revealed that the SABC forked out over R700 000 for Mbulaheni Maguvhe's new luxury German ride in July 2016.

The current SABC board chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini doesn't get a car.

The controversial Mbulaheni Maguvhe doggedly refused to resign as all of the other former SABC board members resigned, and eventually left in December 2016 during a parliamentary ad hoc inquiry into the shocking state of affairs at the SABC, its board, and its rotten state of financial and management affairs.

Mbulaheni Maguvhe tried to thwart the inquiry and transparency into the SABC with an attempt at a court interdict that was dismissed and he was ordered to personally pay the court costs.

Parliament found that Mbulaheni Maguvhe and others allegedly lied during the parliamentary's inquiry into the SABC.

In a written reply to a question from the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party, the former minister of communications, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, says the SABC paid more than the standard cost of R620 000 of what a Audi Q5 sold for at the time, because of added extra's.

These included R119 000 in additional vehicle perks that were added to the price of Mbulaheni Maguvhe's new SUV, including alloy wheels costing R24 000, a sunroof of R18 000, R8 870 on a parking assistance system, R4 623 for tinted windows, xenon lights costing R11 000, atowbar for R10 000, and an electronic "luggage system" costing R5 500.

An annual SABC TV licence fee currently cost R265. It means that the full SABC TV licence fee money of 2 792 people would have been needed to buy the Audi Q5 for the SABC that is a public broadcaster and is supposed to carefully and with due diligence use money to do the best public broadcasting it can.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told The Sunday Times that the SABC board has now made a decision to "sell the car and the process is underway".

Possible criminal charges after parliament reports finds Faith Muthambi, James Aguma, Ben Ngubane, Mbulaheni Maguvhe allegedly lied in SABC inquiry.

Possible criminal charges could be coming for minister Faith Muthambi, James Aguma, Ben Ngubane, Mbulaheni Maguvhe and former SABC company secretary Theresa Geldenhuys who allegedly lied during the SABC inquiry by parlement.

A parliamentary report has found that these 5 witnesses in parliament's SABC inquiry into maladministration, corruption, and mismanagement at the troubled South African Broadcasting Corporation may have deliberately misled the South African parliament's ad hoc committee that investigated the SABC rot.

The National Assembly speaker Baleka Mbete finally quietly tabled the report that she has kept hidden for months amidst calls for it to be made public who parliament found may have lied during the inquiry.

Faith Muthambi, then the minister of communications - now the public service and administration minister - could face a charge of contempt and abuse of parliamentary privilege that is punishable by a fine or a prison term not exceeding 12 months or both.

The same goes for the other 4 with the controversial Ben Ngubane and Mbulaheni Maguvhe who served as former SABC board members and James Aguma who quit as acting SABC CEO.

The report by parliament's legal services division found that Faith Muthambi's testimony regarding the appointment of the controversial and now fired executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng "does not align with the content of minutes of the SABC board meetings".

"To this end the testimony proffered by the then-minister of communications could be seen as an attempt to misled the enquiry."

The report found that the controversial Mbulaheni Maguvhe likely misled parliament when he claimed ignorance of the shocking labour dispute involving the so-called "SABC8" SABC News journalists who were fired after they voiced concern over the Hlaudi Motsoeneng's abruptly introduced SABC News censorship policy.

The parliamentary report found that the controversial Ben Ngubane misled parliament in his testimony on the massive amounts the SABC had been paying to produce The New Age Breakfast Briefings broadcast on SABC2's Morning Live.

"The testimony offered by Ben Ngubane could be seen as an attempt to mislead the inquiry and that false information was presented to the inquiry," parliament's report states.

The parliamentary report found that the controversial and now gone James Aguma might have provided the inquiry with an email which "purports to lack authenticity as being that generated by the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC)."

"In order to establish this fact conclusively, further investigation needs to be undertaken to ascertain whether the email was generated by the CIPC".

The parliamentary report found that Theresa Geldenhuys refused to provide parliament's ad hoc committee with requested documents, citing that they were "commercially sensitive" - only for the documents to be provided later, and being proven to not be commercially sensitive. 

Theresa Geldenhuys also failed "to inform the committee that she was no longer the company secretary which could be considered as an attempt to mislead the inquiry".

Parliament's legal services division recommended that the 5 people be investigated for misleading parliament.

In a statement, Phumzile van Damme, a member of parliament (MP) of the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party, says that "now that the speaker of the National Assembly Baleka Mbete has finally tabled the report from parliament's legal services unit identifying those who misled or lied to the SABC ad hoc committee, she must ensure that criminal charges are laid against them."

"The recommendation in the report of the ad hoc committee on the SABC inquiry was that parliament itself lay charges against the individuals who misled the committee."

"Although the DA welcomes the tabling of this report, the reality is that it is almost 12 weeks overdue and has been sitting on the speaker's desk since 5 June."

Parliament's acting secretary Penelope Tyawa joins speaker Baleka Mbete in trying to keep secret the report that says who lied during parliament's special SABC Inquiry.

The acting secretary of South Africa's parliament, Penelope Tyawa, has now apparently joined parliament's speaker, Baleka Mbete, with both who are conspiring to keep the South African public uninformed and the country's TV industry in the dark, refusing to release a report publicly stating which people who testified in parliament in December 2016 lied to the SABC Inquiry.

After a thorough, special ad hoc committee inquiry in December 2016 and January 2017 into maladministration, corruption and mismanagement at the beleaguered SABC and the dealings of the mafia-like former SABC board, parliament's legal services unit handed a report to speaker Baleka Mbete, naming the witnesses who gave contradictory and misleading evidence during the SABC inquiry.

So far Baleka Mbete has refused to make this report public with information that South African citizens, the TV industry and TV viewers who are forced to pay SABC TV licence fees to a public broadcaster, have a right to know in an open democracy.

Despite an application made on 20 June by the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party's deputy whip, Mike Waters who served on the ad hoc committee, in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to get access to this report, Penelope Tyawa, has now also refused.

"The report was one of the key recommendations of the SABC inquiry report. Significantly, it was to be completed within 60 days with the aim of criminal charges being laid," says Mike Waters, in a statement.

On Wednesday Penelope Tyawa told Mike Waters that the report "would be made available by the end of August or soon thereafter".

Mike Waters says Penelope Tyawa "has joined the Speaker of the National Assembly in trying to keep the report into those who lied during the SABC inquiry from public scrutiny".

"This reasoning is laughable as parliament's legal services unit completed the report and submitted it to parliament on 5 June 2017 through its representative, the National Assembly speaker.

"It is now precisely the representative of parliament, Baleka Mbete, who is protecting the persons implicated in the report by refusing to table it, which she is required to do 'without delay' ".

In a statement from South Africa's parliament on late Thursday, parliament said that "the speaker is in no position to disclose the names of the affected individuals publicly before a committee process has begun".

"Any insinuation that the speaker seeks to quash a parliamentary probe into these allegations is erroneous and without basis."

People who likely lied during the SABC Inquiry include:

the failed former minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, recently shunted to another ministry;
the disgraced former SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala who also lied about tertiary qualifications she doesn't have;
the confused and stubborn former SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe who was staunch Hlaudi Motsoeneng supporter;
and the patriarchal former SABC chairperson Ben Ngubane who of course doesn't fly economy.

Daft interdict by SABC's lone hold-out chairperson to prevent parliament's inquiry into SABC crisis dismissed as Mbulaheni Maguvhe is ordered to personally pay the court costs.

The South African court on Friday evening slammed the sudden, last-ditch effort by the SABC's last remaining board member, prof Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe to thwart transparency and accountability as he tried to stop a parliamentary inquiry into the ongoing SABC crisis, with the Western Cape High Court that dismissed his urgent interdict application and ordered him to pay the legal costs personally.

The parliamentary inquiry will now go ahead.

Prof Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe as the last one left on the gutted SABC board unsuccessfully argued that the parliamentary inquiry into the SABC's ongoing chaotic shenanigans would be biased and unfair.

Meanwhile the SABC lawyers unsuccessfully tried to argue that the public broadcaster had a right to protect commercial information as its reason for refusing to hand over documents requested by parliament of things like the SABC's highly controversial contract with MultiChoice for channels like SABC News and SABC Encore that makes use of the SABC's archives.

Judge Siraj Desai in courtroom 9 at the Western Cape High Court on Friday told the SABC lawyers - who appeared smug and arrogant as well as unprepared, stuttering and faltering when he asked questions - that "I'm trying to think as much as I can in your favour, but my mind leads to different conclusions".

Advocate Ismail Jamie SC appearing on behalf of the SABC (and who couldn't pronounce Mbulaheni Maguvhe's name correctly) didn't come across in the court case - broadcast live on SABC News (DStv 404) as very forthcoming when Judge Siraj Desai multiple times asked who is paying him and who appointed the legal council.

"I'm entitled to be here. My client is the SABC," said Ismail Jamie, with the court told that acting SABC CEO James Aguma authorised the SABC's legal eagles.

On why the SABC refused to hand over the documents requested from Mbulaheni Maguvhe for parliament's SABC inquiry, Ismail Jamie told Judge Siraj Desai that Maguvhe is only "entitled to see the documents, but he's not entitled to hand over the documents because he's not the owner of the documents.

He said the SABC as a public broadcaster is "entitled to protect our own commercial interests".

"No, you are not. The SABC is an asset of all South Africans," said Judge Siraj Desai.

"This is not the baby in the bath water. This is the elephant in the bath water. The entire board is [gone]," said Judge Siraj Desai, noting that "virulence has swept the SABC board".

Judge Siraj Desai told Mbulaheni Maguvhe's lawyer Thabani Masuku several times things like: "I do not follow you. Why is it not correct?", "I can't understand your problem in this regard".

Thabani Masuku said: "All I'm saying is, lets not make too much of an issue that the SABC board is not functioning".

Judge Siraj Desai said "One doesn't see a vacancy, but one sees the crumbling, disintegration of the SABC board itself" and that "the objective fact here is the SABC board has crumbled. Crumbled to the fact that it is inquorate."

Thabani Masuku told the judge that the SABC board and Mbulaheni Maguvhe read bad things about them in the media, that they don't like it and don't have the "courage" to read the newspapers, saying: "Some people do not take kindly to the kind of language used to describe the SABC board and its fails".

The packed court room burst out in laughter several times.

"When one is in a public position, then criticism, when you fail, is inevitable," said Judge Siraj Desai. "When you're the chairperson of the SABC, then you can't be unduly sensitive".

When Thabani Masuku tried to argue that Mbulaheni Maguvhe dignity is at stake, Judge Siraj Desai said "To be the last man standing [at the gutted and failed SABC board] is hardly a very dignified position".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SABC audience share falls again, down to 48.8%

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A 1 001 direct complaints

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defiant boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng says SABC will defy Icasa's order to end SABC TV news censorship because Icasa 'not a court'; SABC risks losing it broadcast licence.

The famously matricless and belligerent chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC will defy the order of South Africa's broadcasting regulator, Icasa to immediately end censorship of SABC TV News visuals of protests because Icasa is "not a court" and said that the SABC will take the case to the Constitutional Court.

The autocratic broadcasting tzar Hlaudi Motsoeneng said nobody can dictate to the SABC what to do and what not to show, not even the South African broadcasting regulator that oversees the SABC's broadcasting licence and monitors its adherence to its licence conditions.

Icasa says its rulings and orders as the broadcasting regulator are binding.

At yet another late-start, mangled, confusing and off-message SABC press conference on Monday afternoon, 4 SABC'ers - the SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe, SABC board member Aaron Tshidzumba, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and the SABC's PR tzar Kaizer Kganyago - all uttered 4 different comments regarding the SABC's stance regarding the regulator's order for the SABC to end its ban on broadcasting the destruction of property during public protests introduced in May.

Interestingly both Mbulaheni Maguvhe and Aaron Tshidzumba - the only two SABC board members present at the SABC press conference - have been the most vocal, publicly, the past month, in their support of both Hlaudi Motsoeneng, as well as his decision of SABC TV News censorship of public protests in South Africa.

Interestingly, the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, on Monday afternoon defied an ANC summons to appear before a meeting of the ruling ANC political party's subcommittee on communications to explain the litany of crises at the SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, and the SABC's news censorship decree.

The bombastic exclamation on Monday afternoon by Hlaudi Motsoeneng that the crisis-riddled SABC will ignore and defy the order from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) handed down on Monday morning.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said that he will not ends his censorship decision that will be fought to the Constitutional Court. This follows the stubborn pattern exhibited by the controversial SABC boss.

The dictatorial Hlaudi Motsoeneng ignored the Public Protector's February 2014 report from the Chapter 9 institution that implicated his in maladministration, found that he lied about qualifications and a matric he doesn't have and said "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC".

The beleaguered Hlaudi Motsoeneng is also embroiled in several court cases over his appointment as COO at the SABC and other matters.

All court rulings so far has found against him and ordered the SABC to suspend him immediately, all of which he has defied, with ongoing appeals, adamant to fight and take his court cases to the Constitutional Court.

The latest of South Africa's Chapter 9 institutions that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is now trampling on, is the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, that regulates the entire South African TV industry - the authority that could revoke the SABC's TV broadcasting licence should it fail to comply with its order on Monday for the SABC to stop censoring SABC TV news broadcasts.

The South African broadcasting regulator found the SABC guilty of  breaching both the Broadcasting Act and its licensing conditions, as well as the South African Constitution and ordered it to end its SABC censorship decision, backdated retro-actively to 26 May.

"No-one is going to tell us what to do within organisation," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"I don't know why people want to dictate to the SABC. We are clear on what we are doing, and we still believe that we are within the Broadcasting Act," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"The Icasa ruling, we are challenging that ruling. If we need to go to the Constitutional Court, that is where the matter will end," said a defiant Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"We are not going to change anything. You must forget," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng at Monday afternoon's hastily convened SABC press conference that was interrupted by a Right2Know protester who shouted "Hlaudi must go, away with censorship. Away with Hlaudi. History will judge you."

"People have been talking elections, saying SABC is not going to be fair, because blah, blah, censorship. I don't know what is censorship," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.


■ Compared with Hlaudi Motsoeneng's utterances on Monday, tho other SABC board members and the spokesperson said wildly different things - different messages about the same subject, illustrating how confused the SABC has become internally when it comes to sending a message to the press.

SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe said: "I still believe that we were right [to censor SABC TV news]. And I maintain that we are right. For us it's not a blanket ban, it's just a veil. You can see through it."

"Between now and 5 days we are going to engage our legal team. If their advice is that we are going to review this matter with the relevant authorities, which would include of course the High Court or the Constitutional Court, that is what we are going to do."

"Freedom of information doesn't mean that our children, whose minds are not yet ready to digest these visuals, that we should expose them to these visuals, to grow to be hooligans and irresponsible citizens".

Mbulaheni Maguvhe said the SABC "won't retract the decision" to censor SABC TV News.


SABC board member Aaron Tshidzumba said: "Icasa is Chapter 9. It is not a court of law. It recommends issues."

"We will go to all avenues to answering this Icasa's issue. To prove to them that if they've recommended using rumours, or legal advice which is not informed by broadcasting, we are broadcasters, we're still correct on that".


SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said: "You are saying we are ignoring Icasa. We are not. We are saying we are taking Icasa on review. Which is a different matter altogether."

SABC's loss-making mess continues, despite SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng saying 'SABC we are profitable' and a 'billion dollar company'.

The loss-making mess of the SABC is continuing with the beleaguered South African public broadcaster that will again announce a loss next month despite SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng who this year numerous times said "SABC we're profitable" and that the SABC is a "billion dollar company".

In August the SABC will announce its 6th annual loss of the past decade.

The SABC's net financial loss will increase beyond R1 billion, up from R860 million. It is in sharp contrast to the controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng constantly telling the media that the SABC has "R1 billion for local content", that "SABC is sustainable" and that the SABC is profitable.

Last year the SABC made a loss of R395 million - a loss that is set to rise when the public broadcaster publishes its financial report for the 2015/2016 year next month - while Mbulaheni Maguvhe, chairperson of the gutted SABC board stubbornly maintains that the "SABC is not in crisis".

So bad is the SABC's financialmanagement that last year the public broadcaster received its 5th consecutive qualified audit in 5 years and in 2012/2013 even a disclaimer from the auditor-general (AG).

With ongoing brand and reputational damage, the SABC that burns through R600 million per month, is besieged by now almost daily public protests and sharp criticism over mismanagement and the credibility of the SABC News service.

The broadcaster came in for near universal condemnation for a unilaterally introduced censorship policy of the news visuals of public protests on the SABC airwaves that is now also the subject of a court case, as well as a case at the broadcasting regulator, Icasa.

The SABC's massive loss of hundreds of millions of rand for 2015/2016 will come as Hlaudi Motsoeneng in May announced a 90% local music quota for SABC radio stations, followed by a 80% local content diktat for the SABC's TV stations requiring the production of more local TV programming.

Earlier this year the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that the SABC will make a profit of R19 million.

SABC in damage control over Hlaudi Motsoeneng: Public broadcaster says controversial COO wanting media regulation doesn't speak for SABC.

The SABC is in damage control, now saying its controversial and famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng gave his "personal view" when he again said this week - twice - that South African media should be regulated and that all South African journalists should be "licensed".

Yet Hlaudi Motsoeneng spoke as COO of the SABC, was invited as such, introduced as such and answered questions as the SABC's representative and second highest executive at Monday's breakfast briefing of The New Age newspaper.

He again appeared on Tuesday in parliament to which he and other SABC executives were summoned to report back, in an official capacity - not as an ordinary person but specifically because he is the COO of the SABC.

At both these events on Monday and on Tuesday Hlaudi Motsoeneng as SABC COO reiterated his comments from last year, saying on Monday that "media also needs to be regulated" and on Tuesday in parliament that "South African media need to be regulated".

On Monday, at The New Age breakfast briefing which was broadcast on SABC2 and on SABC News (DStv 404), Hlaudi Motsoeneng specifically called on SABC board member Lumko Mtimde for support for South Africa's journalists to be "regulated".

"I know Lumko [Mtimde, SABC board member] is sitting there. I'm calling all of them, who believe in me, and them, to make sure that we lobby for journalist to be regulated so that they take accountability," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Monday from the stage.

On Monday about the controversial Nkandla saga - president Jacob Zuma's over-priced private homestead upgraded with millions of taxpayer money with shoddy work – Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he instructed the SABC's head of news, Jimi Matthews, to zoom in with the camera to give the right Nkandla perspective.

"There were so many houses there. Long ago. But when the media talk about Nkandla, they portray the whole houses. As if those houses are new. Which is also misleading."

"I have been talking to Jimi there. To say Jimi but why can't you zoom on the new houses where government was involved. Because if you put them together, you are misleading the country."

Now the SABC, with Hlaudi Motsoeneng who keeps speaking at official events as a SABC representative, in a statement says Hlaudi Motsoeneng's calls for the press to be regulated in South Africa and for all journalists to be licensed is his own view and not that of the public broadcaster.

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng has expressed his view a long time ago and he has on several occasions repeated his position and has not in any way mentioned that this is the SABC's decision," says the SABC in a statement.

The SABC says Hlaudi Motsoeneng "as citizen of the Republichas a right to express his views as enshrined in the constitution of South Africa in respect to freedom of speech". 

The SABC says "the issues that Hlaudi Motsoeneng is expressing are not only related to the SABC journalists but to all the journalists including print media".

Prof. Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe, chairperson of the SABC board, says "the SABC board is not in any position to discipline the COO based on the fact that he is merely expressing his view as a citizen. It is therefore not in the best interest of the SABC to be drawn into this."

On Monday, panelist and broadcaster Stephen Grootes, columnist and senior political correspondent for Eyewitness News (EWN) said at the TNA business briefing that media regulation is dangerous. 

"People who say they want to regulate have only one thing in mind: They want to control the media and that’s what we have to be aware of."

Stephen Grootes asked Hlaudi Motsoeneng: "Who licenses journalists? When do you remove a license from a journalist? What is a journalist in the first place? Is it someone who sets up a Twitter account called 'I am a Journalist'? Is that person not allowed to go and report? To analyse; report?"

"Is someone, somewhere, Big Brother perhaps, decided that you can't do that anymore because we're going to close your Twitter account because you don't have a licence?"

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

You're reading it here first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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