Political parties demand parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice's allegedly 'corrupt' and 'unethical' dealings with Gupta-linked ANN7 and Faith Muthambi.

Political parties are demanding a parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice's allegedly "corrupt" and "unethical" dealings with the controversial Gupta family and its highly-criticised ANN7 channel, as well as the controversial former minister of communications, Faith Muthambi.

Both the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) reacted swiftly to fresh revelations that MultiChoice is paying ANN7 a staggering R141 380 000 per year for the low-rated and little watched channel.

ANN7 has been much criticised for its ongoing mistakes, biased coverage and for allegedly inciting racial discord in South Africa using DStv's platform to do so.

MultiChoice also made a dubious R25 million once-off payment to the Guptas for ANN7.

Both the Economic Freedom Front (EFF) and Democratic Alliance (DA) political parties on Friday called for a parliamentary inquiry into MultiChoice's allegedly "corrupt" dealings with the Guptas and politicians over the ANN7 channel.

The DA's member of parliament Phumzile Van Damme told TVwithThinus that "we believe that this issue be investigated by parliament, as part of the broader State Capture inquiries undertaken by the different committees in Parliament."

"We are in particular seriously concerned about MultiChoice, and what appears to be unethical conduct in this regard relating to the Gupta family. We intend on getting to the bottom of this."

The EFF's member of parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi in a statement says "The EFF condemns the corrupt relations of MultiChoice and Faith Muthambi which suppressed competition within the pay-TV industry with disgust".

"The recent revelations in the #GuptaLeaks show how Faith Muthambi as minister of communications worked with the Guptas to solicit bribes in exchange for protection of MultiChoice from the competition".

"Koos Bekker's company, MultiChoice, paid millions to the Guptas, through ANN7, in exchange for Faith Muthambi to adopt the policy of unencryption in the set-top boxes for digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration."

"The Guptas, through their influence on Jacob Zuma and Faith Muthambi, managed to guarantee their stay on the DStv platform whilst being remunerated unreasonable amounts of money despite their low audience numbers," says Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

"It is clear that MultiChoice was paying them for securing a DTT policy in relation to set-top boxes that would maintain them as the sole players in the pay-TV space."

'The EFF calls on parliament to hold an inquiry into the Gupta influence over Faith Muthambi. In this inquiry, companies like MultiChoice must be held accountable publicly for their criminal activities in the sector, suppressing competition in favour of their domination."

"The EFF will also be reporting MultiChoice to the Competition Commission to investigate how they influenced the policy on set-top boxes in favour of their market domination."

A new crisis hits the SABC board - nobody wants to be on it. Parliament concerned over only 24 applications for 2 positions; postpones process.

With the severely damaged public reputation of the SABC and ongoing drama at the beleaguered public broadcaster another crisis has been created: South African citizens are no longer willing to serve as readily on the unstable SABC board marred by acrimonious in-fighting and plagued by government interference as people once were.

A new crisis has hit the SABC and the SABC board: nobody apparently wants to be on it.

From hundreds of applications in the past when an SABC board position opened, its plunged to only a shocking 24 applications which were received - for two positions.

Meanwhile instability continues with the SABC board still without a permanent SABC board chairperson - a vacancy which has also not yet been filled.

Prof. Obert Maguvhe has been serving as acting SABC chairperson for almost half a year now after the shamed Ellen Tshabalala abruptly resigned in mid-December 2014 after being exposed for fraudulent credentials.

Ellen Tshabalala lied about tertiary qualifications she didn't have but claimed she "did nothing wrong" despite being found guilty on two charges by parliament's portfolio committee on communications, tasked with oversight of the struggling public broadcaster.

The call for applications for a new SABC chairperson led to 97 applications received but in the months since her departure has not yet been filled.

While five candidates out of the 97 were shortlisted by parliament not a single interview for new SABC chairperson has taken place.

Meanwhile the public broadcaster continues to make daily news headlines for all the wrong reasons similar to struggling and crises-riddled parastatals SAA and Eskom.

Since the beginning of the year other another three SABC board members - Rachel Kalidass, Ronnie Lubisi and Hope Zinde - were all fired by the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, saying she can do so under the Companies Act because the SABC is a state-owned firm, instead of the Broadcasting Act which directs the workings of the public broadcaster.

Besides those three SABC board posts not yet filled - only 24 applications were received for the vacant positions of yet another two "empties": that of Thembinkosi Bonakele and Prof. Bongani Khumalo.

Thembinkosi Bonakele quit the SABC board almost a year ago in June 2014 with Faith Muthambi taking months to tell parliament. A fed-up Prof. Bongani Khumalo, tired of government interference in the SABC board abruptly quit in January 2015.

The crisis with a lack of people with experience and a background in broadcasting and management willing to serve on the SABC board, is raising fears that people have now become scared to damage their career CV's if the potential exists for their names ending up in lurid headlines, or getting removed as a board director if there's backstage drama.

The crisis with too few applications for the SABC board which originally had 12 members, has now led parliament's portfolio committee on communications to postpone the process of finding and replacing SABC board members.

Portfolio committee chairperson Joyce Moloi-Moropa admitted yesterday that there exists a perception problem, since the position of permanent SABC chairperson has not yet been filled, while further vacant positions for SABC board positions had been advertised.

Gavin Davis, Democratic Alliance (DA) MP and member of the portfolio committee yesterday requested that the vacant positions for SABC board members be readvertised. "I must be honest, I can't find that much quality among these 24 candidates and that is going to leave us with a problem."

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP and member of the portfolio committee said that the low number and quality of applications reflect a crisis for the SABC and the country.

"If the vacancies were properly advertised then this country is in a crisis because these CV's were difficult," he said.

The portfolio committee on communications now wants to relook at the 97 applications received for SABC chairperson, to possibly use and sift through those to fill the growing gaping holes on the SABC board.

Joyce Moloi-Moropa said parliament's legal advisors will be asked about the legality of including the 97 CV's for the SABC chairperson position.

SABC interview of Eben Jansen on SABC News with EFF's Mbuyiseni Ndlozi raises eyebrows after invited guest is rudely cut off.

An SABC TV news interview on SABC News (DStv 404) is raising eyebrows after The Newsroom anchor Eben Jansen became confrontational with the EFF spokesperson who was invited to the show as a guest and was then rudely dismissed.

The interview over the removal and vandalism of national statues in South Africa became confrontational when anchor Eben Jansen and EFF national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi started sparring on live television on Thursday on the SABC's 24-hour TV news channel.

Both anchor Eben Jansen doing the interview and Mbuyiseni Ndlozi raised their voices and started talking over each other.

"Are you going to allow me to speak? Are you going to allow me to speak?" asked Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

"I'm not going to allow you to speak anymore Mister Ndlozi because we can't have a conversation," said Eben Jansen, cutting the invited guest off.

The interview on SABC News starts at 19:15 to 26:46.

Viewers described the interview as "petty, childish and unprofessional", wondering why Eben Jansen is using words like "Red Indians" and his attitude described as "embarrassing and unprofessional".

"The disrespect from the anchor towards Mbuyiseni Ndlozi is appalling," said a viewer. "You wanted him to agree to your statements, why?" said viewer Coffart Mogale.

"Whats the use of interviewing a person where you have already written questions and answers for that person? Please change your attitude when presenting. You push your own vendetta or SABC's and don't allow viewers to decide for themselves on contents of the interview."

'Have we no shame, no regard for the law, no self-respect, to force a man who has forged and lied down the throat of South Africans?'

Opposition parties' members of parlaiment blasted the SABC and South Africa's controversial new minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, for the shocking and highly controversial permanent appointment of the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer (COO) at the beleaguered SABC.

"Have we no shame, have we no regard for law, have we no respect and no self-respect to take a platform and force a man who has forged and lied about his qualifications down the throat of South Africans?" asked Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, the member of parliament of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party.

"Do you really not see the danger in the appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng?" Mbuyiseni Ndlozi asked Faith Muthambi.

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi called Hlaudi Motsoeneng a "pathological liar" and a "mythomaniac".

"The message is extremely misleading and is a worry to us. It says that it's okay to rise as high as you can without the education that you need – that you don't even need a matric certificate," said Sibongile Nkomo of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP).

BREAKING. Widespread shock, disbelief, condemnation over SABC's ridiculous appointment of matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng as COO.

Widespread shock, disbelief and condemnation is the reaction to the shocking news that the beleaguered SABC has permanently appointed the famously matricless and highly controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng to the position of chief operating officer (COO) without the position ever being advertised.

The shocking appointment of the matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng - embroiled in multiple maladministration charges in a scathing report from South Africa's Public Protector released earlier this year which stated that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng should never have been appointed at the SABC" - seems to signal the death knell for the SABC as any kind of credible or reputable public broadcaster.

The public broadcasting pressure group, SOS Coalition, is "alarmed" by Hlaudi Motsoeneng appointment, saying the vast group - representing civil society as well as the larger majority of South Africa's TV industry - is "shocked" by his permanent appointment as COO.

"Where was the fair, transparent and public appointment process we were promised by the ministry?" says the SOS Coalition.

"The post was not advertised and, as such, no thorough recruitment process was followed". The SOS Coalition says the matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng's permanent COO appointment will "further undermine the stability and credibility of the SABC".

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela told SABC radio news that she doesn't understand what happened and why Hlaudi Motsoeneng has suddenly been appointed permanently, while she is still waiting for a response to the report issued about him earlier this year.

"I'm still waiting for a response from the SABC and from the minister. Until then, I'm not in a position to understand what has just happened".

The SABC's biggest trade union, the Broadcasting, Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) says in a statement it is "shocked" by the unprocedural appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer at the SABC.

Bemawu says the position was advertised more than two years ago and only internally - in January 2012.

Bemawu says it demands "that the appointment be reversed and due process be followed, failing which we will legally challenge the recruitment process".

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party in a statement calls Hlaudi Motsoeneng's appointment as SABC COO "a dark day for democracy".

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been given a renewed mandate to continue his reign of terror at the public broadcaster," says Gavin Davis, the DA shadow minister of communications.

"We can expect more surveillance and purging of SABC staff, more clampdowns on editorial independence and more 'happy news' that reflects positively on the governing party".

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng should have been suspended and disciplined following the Public Protector's report, not promoted. Hlaudi Motsoeneng has earned a reputation as a Goebbels-like figure at the centre of President Jacob Zuma's propaganda machine".

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) political party in a statement says it is "distraught by Hlaudi Motsoeneng's appointment.

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng does not deserve to be COO, because he is a liar and a conman," says EFF member of parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

The civil rights group Afriforum says in a statement the shocking appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as SABC COO is "a further example of disrespect for the constitution and constitutional institutions that exist to protect the public against abuse of power and mismanagement".

Parliament blasts SABC: 'Everything at the SABC remains a permament drama, like a drama that comes on the SABC at 8 o' clock every night'.

Parliament on Friday blasted the SABC as furious members of parliament's portfolio committee on communications took turns to lash out at the South African public broadcaster.

Even the new minister of communications, as well as the portfolio committee's chairperson didn't hold back - respectively describing the SABC as "plagued by a myriad of problems" and that "the SABC remains dysfunctional", as well as saying that "there's a dark cloud hanging over the SABC".

A lot of their outrage was directed at the SABC's controversial and famously matricless acting chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng (pictured above).

The member of parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi from the EFF party, said that "Hlaudi Motsoeneng, that the Public Protector's report has had to speak about - which we are waiting to hear when is he getting fired - wakes up in the morning and says that we must license journalists. Running an institution that is supposed to be engaged in journalism, that is supposed to be reporting the news".

"He's supposed to be the number one defender of the SABC of the freedom of expression, of the freedom of the media".

"I find it very hard that we can entrust the SABC to walk out of the crisis it's been in since 2007 when the SABC leadership doesn't take these issues seriously. When is Hlaudi Motsoeneng getting fired? When?" asked Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

"Everything at the SABC remains a permanent drama, like a drama that comes on the SABC at 8 o' clock every night".

"Get leadership stability, improvement of TV channels. The most important questions that will restore legitimacy for the public is to respond to the leadership questions and the Public Protector's report on Hlaudi Motsoeneng," said Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.

"What is preventing the SABC from suspending Hlaudi Motsoeneng? Surely he cannot continue at this organisation?" asked Gavin Davis, from the DA political party.

"The SABC remains in a perpetual crisis, it's losing market share, it's losing audiences, it's losing money from advertisers going elsewhere. There's needs to be an injection of talent to make the SABC a viable institution," said Marian Shinn, from the DA political party.

"Your own SABC commissioned marketing research shows that your losing market share and credibility, particularly with SABC News. No-one trusts the SABC news".

"The SABC is looking for customers of the SABC's archives. Well, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, last year you gave away the SABC archives to MultiChoice. They have the rights to your archives - not part of it, all of it. The contract says 'the archive'. So what on earth have you got left to sell to anybody else?"

"Last year I asked who is going to pay for the digitisation of the SABC archive materialso that MultiChoice could use it to launch their 24-hour SABC entertainment channel."

"The answer came back that the money - just over R300 for the entertainment side of the MultiChoice SABC deal would be used to digitise the material. Is that being done? Why has the SABC entertainment TV channel not gone live? It should have gone live in November 2013 and there's no sign of it," said Marian Shinn.

Joyce Moloi-Moropa, chairperson of the portfolio committee on communications said: "There is a dark cloud hanging over the SABC. Everytime everyone talks SABC that cloud hangs on top there. It is upon the SABC itself to clear that cloud".

"If the SABC doesn't take it upon itself to remove that cloud, surely it will remain a cloud that will be permanently over it. We do need a very credible SABC in the country. We appeal to the SABC to undergo a self-cleansing process whereby it becomes credible".

Faith Muthambi, South Africa's new minister of communications said "the SABC has been plagued by a myriad of problems in the past and currently" and that "the SABC remains dysfunctional and requires urgent attention from me".