Comperio Report of the forensic investigation into the rot and corruption at National Film and Video Foundation finds staffers took family members on luxury trips to Sun City for the South African Film and Television Awards.

The report on the forensic investigation at the rot and corruption at South Africa's National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an organisation funded by the department of arts and culture, uncovered various NFVF staffers and council members who took family members with them on luxury trips to Sun City for the South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas), as well as high flying overseas trips with taxpayer's money without the minister of arts and culture's permission and sign-off.

The investigation by Comperio Consulting and dubbed The Comperio Report found a massive overspend by the National Film and Video Foundation on things like office renovations with money that should be going to fund film and television production in South Africa.

While the NFVF's projected legal costs are spiraling, The Comperio Report also found problems with staff appointments and numerous abuses of the NFVF's finances.

The NFVF is responsible for the shoddily organised South African Film and Television Awards that remains shockingly bad every year without improvement and in 2018 once again horrified viewers and the local TV and film industry with its mistake-riddled 2-night award shows in March that was was boycotted by some of South Africa's biggest TV productions.

Shadrack Bokaba is currently the acting NFVF CEO to provide "organisational stability" and replaced Zama Mkosi who abruptly resigned in May and left under a cloud when the findings of The Comperio Report started to be implemented.

Two NFVF council members – Thabiso Masudubele and Pam Mashiane – are accused of flouting international travel regulations, while Phil Molefe allegedly made several high-flying overseas trips from Cannes to China without sign-off by the minister of arts and culture, Nathi Mthethwa as is required.

Several questions have been put to the National Film and Video Foundation in a media enquiry about The Comperio Report but Neo Moretlwe, NFVF communications coordinator and Xolelwa Nomgca, marketing and communications manager, despite asking several times, somehow didn't provide specific answers.

The NFVF was asked what its response is to the Comperio report that found that NFVF executives and NFVF council members took family members to Sun City for the Saftas at taxpayer’s expense. The NFVF was asked why this happened and will this continue to happen?

No response.

The NFVF was asked its response about NFVF council members like Thabiso Masudubele and Pam Mashiane who allegedly broke international travel regulations and for instance flying first class.

No response.

The NFVF is supposed to help and support the local SA film and TV industry and was asked of the NFVF is worried that the image of NFVF executives and council members and news about luxury local and foreign trips and stays, and taking family members along is damaging the NFVF’s image within the industry, with media and with the public? The NFVF was also asked what its is doing to improve its image?

No response.

The NFVF was also asked how the NFVF quantify the value or the return of investment (ROI) when people are flown internationally? How did the NFVF work out the return on investment it got from people and media who were invited to stay at Sun City for this year’s Saftas and what was the press coverage of media who were invited and stayed at NFVF expense?

No response.

The NFVF was also asked if its budget for legal spending of R85 000 has been changed to R1.35 million and if so, why?

No response.

The NFVF sent a quote, attributable to Shadrack Bokaba, NFVF acting CEO, stating that "the NFVF has undergone numerous changes, all investigations have been completed and recommendations are being implemented".

"The work of developing and providing funding to filmmakers has never ceased, and the focus now is to stabilise the organisation to continue fulfilling our mandate. Budget allocation towards all activities is informed by past trends, accompanied by a precautionary increase."

The NFVF was asked several times which of the questions the statement is the answer to, and where the other answers are, but there has been no response. If the NFVF respond with the other answers and where the one answer received fits, it will be added here.

After its first news channel failure, the SABC wanted to turn SABC3 into its new TV news channel not knowing it couldn't, reveals former chairperson dr Ben Ngubane.

After the expensive flop and abrupt shuttering of its struggling first TV news channel, SABC News International, the SABC set its sights on SABC3, wanting to turn its struggling and smallest terrestrial TV channel into its new news channel - unaware that it's not allowed to do so because SABC3 has a commercial TV licence.

The former SABC board chairperson, dr Ben Ngubane, now the chairperson of Eskom, revealed to parliament on Friday in the ongoing inquiry into the beleaguered state of affairs at the South African public broadcaster, that after the failure of SABC News International, the SABC wanted to turn SABC3 into its new news channel.

Instead of turning SABC3 into its new news channel, the SABC eventually signed the now controversial MultiChoice deal to supply a new stand-alone TV news channel to DStv, SABC News (DStv 404).

Together with the old rerun channel SABC Encore (DStv 156), the pay-TV operator paid the SABC hundreds of millions of rand for the two SABC packaged channels to be carried on DStv, with exclusive access to the old library titles from the SABC archives shows on SABC Encore.

SABC News International was started in 2007 by the SABC's former head of news, dr Snuki Zikalala at a cost of more than R85 million but abruptly shut down three years later at the end of March 2010.

The massive cash drain of SABC News International - to the tune of over R80 million per year - on the SABC's already precarious operating budget was one of the big crippling factors that brought the SABC to the brink of financial collapse in 2009.

But the SABC was absolutely adamant to have a TV news channel and next looked to transform one of its existing three TV channels in its second attempt to create one: SABC3.

SABC3 is however the SABC's only commercial TV channel, with SABC1 and SABC2 licensed as its public broadcast service (PBS) channels.


'We couldn't use SABC3'
In parliament's special ad hoc committee investigating the SABC, dr Ben Ngubane revealed that the SABC's previous head of news who was also acting SABC CEO, Phil Molefe "went to India to look for partners to start the 24-hour TV news channel".

"Things get started. Phil Molefe wanted the 24-hour news channel, but to use SABC3 as the 24-hour news channel. When he came back, after a long process, we found that in fact we couldn't use SABC3 because it's a commercial TV station in terms of its licence".

Dr Ben Ngubane said "I did not bring the Guptas to SABC".

"I was aware that Phil Molefe had gone to India to meet a broadcasting company. He came back and sought a mission to convert SABC3 into 24-hour news. And we declined that."

Dr Ben Ngubane said Phil Molefe "also went to London on the same quest to turn SABC3 into 24-hour news".

SABC News (DStv 404) was eventually launched in August 2013 on DStv promising "multilingual programming" delivered "to audiences in all 11 South African official languages". In April 2015 the SABC removed all bulletins in other languages and made SABC News an English TV news channel.

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".

Yet another dubious SABC 'anniversary': Today it is 2 YEARS since SABC news head Phil Molefe was suspended, still getting paid monthly.

Congratulations (not!) is in order for the SABC.

Today marks the two year anniversary since Phil Molefe, the SABC's head of news - and ever since still getting paid his monthly salary of around R100 000 per month - has been suspended on unexplained "special leave" by the now gone-and-good-riddance former SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo.

The shockingly unresolved Phil Molefe issue is just one of, and a good example, of the beleaguered, ongoing corporate management, political hamstrung and failing governance mess the South African public broadcaster continues to find itself in due to extremely poor leadership, undue political interference - and of course unqualified and unskilled appointments.

Phil Molefe who keeps getting his R2,2 million a year salary while "suspended", denied the SABC's claim at the end of 2013 that a settlement was reached with him.

Lets see if by 10 April 2015 there's three little candles we can put on the SABC cake.

SABC pays news head Phil Molefe R2,2 million to stay home for a year after being suspended; suspended CFO paid R1,5 million.

Exactly a year after he was placed on "special leave" in April 2012 by the SABC pending a disciplinary hearing which constantly got postponed, the SABC's head of news and current affairs Phil Molefe got R2,2 million to stay at home.

Meanwhile the SABC payed its suspended chief financial officer Gugu Duda R1,5 million as well.

The minister of communications, Dina Pule, told parliament's portfolio committee on communications on Wednesday that Phil Molefe got full benefits and was paid R2,278 million to effectively stay home and do nothing.

Gugu Duda got R1,563 million.

BREAKING. Dali Mpofu, former SABC CEO, stabbed and robbed; in serious but stable condition in hospital.

Dali Mpofu, a former SABC CEO, has been stabbed during a robbery attack in East London and is currently in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Dali Mpofu - an advocate who has represented several other SABC employees such as the SABC's suspended chief financial officer (CFO) Gugu Duda as well as the "indefinitely on long, special leave" head of news and current affairs Phil Molefe last year in legal and court proceedings - is also representing the injured miners who were involved in the Marikana Massacre in front of the Farlam Commission of Inquiry.

Dali Mpofu was mugged and stabbed on Thursday afternoon at Eastern Beach in East London by two attackers who took his personal belongings like his cellphone, according to the police.

Dali Mpofu was rushed to hospital with stab wounds in his upper and lower body and is currently in a serious but stable condition.

Dali Mpofu was axed as SABC CEO in January 2009; in August of that year after a drawn-out battle, the SABC agreed on a golden handshake of R11 million for him to walk away from the public broadcaster and to withdraw all legal action against the SABC.

Suspended SABC news boss Phil Molefe loses his court application to have his suspension and pending disciplinary hearing ruled unlawful.

The SABC's embattled and suspended news boss Phil Molefe who has been placed on "special leave" for the largest part of the year from his R2,2 million job has lost an acrimonious court battle to force the SABC and its CEO Lulama Mokhobo to reinstate him as the public broadcaster's head of news and current affairs.

Lulama Mokhobo placed Phil Molefe on "special leave" back in April (while the SABC was working on creating a new 24-hour TV news channel with pay-TV platform MultiChoice, now with no permanent head of news at the SABC) when Phil Molefe refused to hand over the SABC News division's news diaries to her.

The SABC which has refused to talk about the reasons, said at the time Phil Molefe was placed on "special leave" due to "human resource matters". Phil Molefe decided to challenge his suspension, saying that the order to forward the daily news diary to the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo amounted to editorial interference.

Phil Molefe, interestingly represented by advocate Dali Mpofu - a previous CEO of the SABC - will now have to face off with the SABC's top executive in a disciplinary hearing after the South Gauteng High Court dismissed Phil Molefe's court application to have the pending disciplinary hearing declared unlawful.

Phil Molefe also wanted his suspension to be declared unlawful in a bid to get his "special leave" declared "unlawful and, accordingly, invalid, null and void".

Phil Molefe, the SABC's news boss who has been on special leave for months, clashing with the SABC in court today over his suspension.

Phil  Molefe, the SABC's news boss who has been on "special leave" for the bigger part of the year, is clashing with his employer in court today and challenging the SABC over his suspension.

Phil Molefe who was placed on "special leave", will challenge his suspension, and indicate that an order to forward the daily news diary to the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo amounts to editorial interference. Phil Molefe refused to make news diaries available to Lulama Mokhobo.

Phil Molefe's court battle with his own employer comes as the beleaguered SABC is battered, basically weekly, by incredibly destructive stories and headlines of alleged editorial and news interference at South Africa's public broadcaster.

Phil Molefe, as the head of news and current affairs, has been out of sight as the SABC tries to set up a new 24-hour news channel on DStv with financial assistance from pay-TV operator MultiChoice. After multiple delays the SABC promised that the channel would launch at the beginning of September, but it didn't start and the SABC has not said anything about a new starting date since.

BREAKING. SABC battered by an avalanche of widespread criticism and condemnation over perceived news, editorial and content bias.

South African's public broadcaster - during the apartheid years monikered "His master's voice" for kowtowing to the then-reigning National Party and branded a blatant extension of its propaganda apparatus - is facing an massive and growing chorus of criticism from public society, extremely concerned about the perceived way in which the SABC has yet again become a shill and shameless agenda driver for the reigning political regime.

One swallow does not the summer make, but 2012 at the SABC is replete with example after example after example of "ad bans", word bans [compound], the SABC admitting to not following its own editorial guidelines and having blacklisted commentators, commentators banned and cancelled from news and actuality shows, public demonstrations by political parties against the SABC alleging news bias and unfair coverage, and alleged people bans such as Julius Malema being persona non grata on SABC airwaves.

It's happening in 2012 under the auspices of Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the acting chief operator officer (COO) of the SABC who famously doesn't have matric, and Jimi Matthews, the acting head of news and current affairs at the SABC as Phil Molefe, the permanent head of news and current affairs has now been on indefinite "special leave" for the bigger part of the year.

After the latest shocking incident - the SABC cancelling at the last minute on three newspaper commentators for a radio show about the ANC's elective congress (Sam Mkokeli, the political editor of Business Day, S'thembiso Msomi, the Sunday Times' political editor and Andrew England, the Financial Times' South African bureau chief) - the corporation is facing an unrelenting avalanche of condemnation for its perceived biased editorial and news decisions which seems wholly misguided.

At a hastily convened press conference on Wednesday, Hlaudi Motsoeneng said that "it [the radio show's would-be topic] was a discussion about the ANC. Our view is simple: you need the ANC to be a part of that decision. We are not banning anyone as people are saying we are banning people. We have to be fair to all citizen [sic] of this country. So then we have done that, and we stick by that decision."

"We mean business here at the SABC. This is leadership at it's best that we can ever find," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Leslie Ntloko, the acting head of radio at the SABC, quoting the SABC's editorial policy said that 'an event of national importance' requires objectivity and balance from SABC staff and that decision [to suddenly cancel the guests and the topic] were made because these rules were not followed.

"This controversy further edifies the established perception that the public broadcaster is no more than a tool with and through which the ruling party secures and displays its hold on political power," said the Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS) in a strongly-worded statement on Wednesday evening.

The SOS Coalition, a vast public pressure group in South Africa representing the TV and film industry and macro bodies, trade unions, academics, independent film and TV production companies, media institutes and freedom of expression activists and NGO's, said that the SABC occupies the position as "the ugly duckling of freedom of expression and media freedom" in South Africa and needs to transform itself from its "long compromised credibility".

"We deserve a transformed SABC. We deserve a credible SABC. We deserve an SABC that works," says the SOS Coalition.

William Bird, director of Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) says that in media "many debates and discussions take place without the person or representative present. Crucially though this was a current affairs programme where it would have been clear that the views presented were those of the participants."

"In the current instance it seems to have been clearly the wrong decision to shut down debate rather than open it up when it is something that people are talking about regardless," says William Bird.

The trade union Mwasa says "for the 'red-telephone' to ring and a scheduled interview is canned is simply not acceptable to say the least. The SABC cannot be allowed to degenerate to the level where individuals are allowed the space to use personal ill-gained influence to import prophylactic measures for prevention of genuine open debates and even dissenting views."

"South Africans should not be forced into distrusting the SABC and into questioning its commitment to serving the citizens of this country. Those that continue to subjugate the SABC to factional interests should be sanctioned."

The ANC Youth League called the cancellation of the interviews "tragic" and "censorship". "The SABC consistently fails to uphold objectivity in the execution of its mandate, and has become a ridiculous pawn in the political theatre they are expected to impartially report on," says the ANC Youth League in a statement.

The Democratic Alliance communications spokesperson, MP Marian Shinn demanded that Hlaudi Motsoeneng be removed from his "news oversight role".

Congress of the People MP Juli Kilian said that if the SABC board did not "rein in its senior management" that the party would insist on the dismissal of the board next year.

"We are deeply disturbed by this apparent example of blatant censorship, something which is an insult to the public's right to know," says the Cape Town Press Club in a statement.

SABC board meets with minister of communications, Dina Pule, about the public broadcaster's turnaround strategy.

The SABC board met with the minister of communications, Dina Pule, on Friday to talk about the South African public broadcaster's ongoing turnaround strategy after the SABC came to the brink of financial collapse in 2009.

Dina Pule said the further stabilisation at the beginning of 2012 has helped the SABC. "It looks like the SABC is going on the positive," said Dina Pule. ''Revenue is growing," she said.

The SABC is meanwhile beset by a "new" range of ongoing problems, festering on for multiple months.

Four months after being placed on "special leave", the SABC's head of news and current affairs, Phil Molefe, has still not had his disciplinary hearing with the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo. Meanwhile he's getting a salary.

Also keep in mind that the SABC intends to launch its new 24-hour TV news channel to replace the failed SABC News International at the beginning of September on MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform. Meanwhile the SABC's de facto news boss is absent to steer or direct this crucial new venture which the SABC told parliament forms part of the beleaguered public broadcaster's turnaround strategy.

Then there is the SABC board which has passed a motion of no confidence in SABC board member Cawe Mahlati, which means that the SABC board wants her gone. Meanwhile the SABC board has not yet replaced the gap on the SABC board left by the resignation of SABC board member Clifford Motsepe earlier this year.

In all likelihood therefore, the SABC board seat of Clifford Motsepe will just be filled in the last quarter of this year when president Jacob Zuma rubber-stamps a replacement as put forward by parliament's portfolio committee for communications, when yet another gap on the SABC board arises if Cawe Mahlati is removed.

Don't forget about the massive fire damage to the SABC when Henley Studios went up in smoke 3 months ago.

Don't forget about the SABC telling government earlier this year that it will require billions - yes, a "b" - more for digital terrestrial migration in order to successfully present an offering for digital terrestrial television (DTT) and that the current budget isn't adequate.

Showdown between the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo, and its head of news Phil Molefe, cancelled and suddenly postponed.

The showdown between the SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo who has hauled the South African public broadcaster's head of news and current affairs, Phil Molefe before a disciplinary hearing was postponed at the last minute on Friday.

The disciplinary hearing of Phil Molefe - the SABC officially refuses to divulge charges, and previously stated that he was placed on "special leave" due to "human resources issues" - was scheduled to take place this past Friday and Saturday, but was suddenly postponed on Friday.

No official statement was made by the SABC regarding the disciplinary hearing or its unexpected postponement (Phil Molefe is represented by a previous SABC CEO Dali Mpofu) but according to insiders Lulama Mokhobo is the one who cancelled, citing health reasons.

The disciplinary hearing which was postponed; has no set new date. Meanwhile Phil Molefe remains on "special leave" since April.

CLASH OF THE EGOs, UHM, CEOs: Former CEO, current CEO and former acting CEO at the SABC square off today for an epic battle.

Talk about a multi-pronged approach at the SABC! Squaring off for a titanic clash, starting today at the South African public broadcaster, is the SABC's current CEO Lulama Mokhobo, the SABC's former acting CEO Phil Molefe, and the SABC's former CEO Dali Mpofu.

Talk about SABC CEO overload - all ready to do battle with each other! This is like Transformers - Dark Side of the Moon, but just in real life.

After denying a growing rift, the fact that there is a two day disciplinary hearing for Phil Molefe starting today at the SABC, seems to suggest that indeed there's more than just a "human resources issue" as to why Phil Molefe, the SABC's head of news and current affairs was placed on "special leave" earlier this year - now for almost 3 months already.

A disciplinary hearing means someone is of the opinion that someone did something wrong. Meanwhile the SABC isn't talking.

The SABC's CEO Lulama Mokhobo on the one side is squaring off, starting today (and continuing Monday) with Phil Molefe - who used to be the acting CEO of the SABC before Lulama Mokhobo got the job.

To make things even more interesting and to add spice to the mix of the latest SABC drama, is that Dali Mpofu is Phil Molefe's legal council. Now, Dali Mpofu is a former SABC CEO as well, besides being a lawyer. So basically there is at least three people in a room who've served in the office of SABC CEO. Will the room be big enough?

Of course CEO is just one letter away from EGO, and today's start of an epic clash about news diaries and authority and allegedly leaking information to the press should be as interesting as a Transformers movie: "I am Megatron! But I am Optimus Prime! You're all pathetic; I am Sentinel Prime! (said with Spock's voice)".

BREAKING. Disciplinary hearing coming next week for Phil Molefe, the 'on special leave' head of news at the SABC.

A disciplinary hearing is coming next week for Phil Molefe, the SABC's "on special leave" head of news and current affairs at the SABC.

Phil Molefe was placed on "special leave" in April due to "human resources" matters at South Africa's public broadcaster, although the SABC refused to elaborate on what exactly it means.

The SABC maintained that Phil Molefe was placed on "special leave" which didn't have anything to do with a falling out between him and the SABC's new CEO, Lulama Mokhobo.

Yet now that Phil Molefe is facing a disciplinary hearing, it clearly indicates that the SABC's top executive management has levelled certain charges against Phil Molefe and that there is indeed some type of conflict between the SABC's executive management and the broadcaster's on "special leave" head of news.

BREAKING. 'Growing rift' between SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo and news head Phil Molefe; SABC board meeting on Monday over news.

While the Sunday newspapers are foaming at the mouth about the animus between the SABC's placed-on-special-leave head of news Phil Molefe and the new CEO Lulama Mokhobo, insiders within the public broadcaster are telling me that the power struggle between Phil Molefe and Lulama Mokhobo (lets leave the myriad of political speculation stories out of this) are because they allegedly don't like each other.

''The new growing rift between the head of news and the CEO is creating renewed factionalism," whispers a longtime SABC insider who isn't choosing sides. "Lulama - which is basically her right as the new CEO tasked to steer this ship - wants more insight into the SABC's news gathering, especially with the work done for the new 24 hour news channel. Meanwhile Phil is apprehensive seeing it as interference, although it's still one and the same company. People who work here can see where both are coming from; it's just difficult because now everyone is going to be forced to pick sides."

"Editor-in-chief" was added to the description of the SABC CEO's job title in 2002, which makes the SABC's top ranking executive overall responsible for the public broadcaster's news output as well. Lulama Mokhobo didn't overreach and definitely didn't overstep her responsibilities by being insistent on wanting to see SABC News's news diary early every day, is an informed source's opinion.

"Just because she wanted to know what news is doing on a daily basis doesn't mean she wanted to influence it, and even if she did want to influence news by sometimes directing coverage that is exactly what editors everywhere do."

"However sending Phil home was probably not the right way of handling this since the SABC board didn't know about it," says this same source. Another SABC insider tells me that 3 months into the job Lulama Mokhobo was very unhappy with some of the SABC's news bulletins on television.

Another SABC insider tells me there is a special SABC board sub committee meeting regarding the broadcaster's news division scheduled for tomorrow (Monday) at the SABC's Auckland Park head office.

Bound to come up for heated discussion will be why Lulama Mokhobo sent Phil Molefe home and why the whole SABC board was not only not informed, but didn't authorise it (since the SABC board is the designated body which officially appoints the SABC's head of news and current affairs).

BREAKING. SABC's head of news Phil Molefe placed on special leave for undetermined period; Jimi Matthews the new acting head of news.

Phil Molefe, the SABC's head of news was placed on special leave today by the public broadcaster's CEO, Lulama Mokhobo and I understand it will be for an undetermined period and that Phil Molefe's special leave has nothing to do with internal politics within the SABC's news divison where jockeying of positions are currently taking place because of the SABC's nascent TV news channel.

Jimi Matthews, the head of TV news at the SABC, will be taking over from Phil Molefe immediately as the acting head of news at the SABC. Phil Molefe was back at the SABC for just over a month; with his special leave kicking in immediately today.

Themba Mthembu remains the head of the SABC's project for the new 24 hour TV news channel the SABC wants to launch.

Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, tells me Phil Molefe "is on special leave pending a discussion between him and the CEO Lulama Mokhobo. There is something they need to discuss. That discussion has to take place; as such Phil Molefe's special leave will not have timeframes. Jimi Matthews will act in Phil Molefe's place as the SABC's head of news.''

BREAKING. With business class seats, SABC's top executives and the SABC board are still flying high - but tells parliament why.

You're reading it here first.

The SABC's top executives and SABC board are still flying business class despite financial problems that beset South Africa's public broadcaster - but they told South Africa's parliament why they're still flying high.

Despite austerity measures and a turn-around strategy thats been implemented to curb runaway spending and clamp down on excessive at the SABC, the SABC board and top executives was still spotted in business class seats on their latest flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town to tell parliament about the broadcaster's turn-around strategy.

A member of the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications happened to be on the exact same flight as the SABC, and while she had an economy seat, she noted that the SABC bigwigs made themselves all comfy in business class seats. In the latest SABC appearance before the portfolio committee, she asked why the delegation from the SABC had flown to Cape Town in business class while she occupied an economy class seat on the same flight.

Phil Molefe, the SABC's acting group CEO, told parliament - and it's noted as such in the latest parliamentary minutes - that ''the SABC delegation was able to travel in business class to Cape Town because they had frequent flyer status and were upgraded by the airline.''

BREAKING. Hlaudi Motsoeneng is the SABC's new acting group CEO in the place of Phil Molefe.

The SABC has made no announcement to the press about it, but Hlaudi Motsoeneng is the SABC's new acting group CEO in the place of Phil Molefe.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng's real job at the South African public broadcaster is that of executive looking after stakeholder relations and provinces. Hlaudi Motsoeneng's appointment as acting group CEO at the SABC is effective immediately until Phil Molefe returns to the SABC from an official engagement. That means that Phil Molefe is currently overseas.

UPDATE Wednesday 16 November 19:15 - Kaizer Kgangayo, SABC spokesperson just called me back and says his plane landed and he's responding to my media enquiry. The SABC is not saying where Phil Molefe went, but Kaizer Kganyago says Phil Molefe will be back ''this week''. Kaizer Kganyago says this is ''not the first time Hlaudi Motsoeneng is acting [as group CEO at the SABC], he has stepped in before. There is nothing strange about it.''

OPINION. The SABC's annual report 2010/2011 is a cringe-inducing stretch about how the broadcaster 'supports' the local TV content industry.

The SABC's just-released annual report 2010/2011 will be a truly cringe-inducing read for the local South African TV industry - struggling terribly the past few years after the SABC all but basically stopped commissioning new local content.

ALSO READ: The latest SABC annual report 2010/2011 is once again unprofessionally looking; gives the impression of a primary school assignment.

ALSO READ: SABC annual report 2010/2011: TV news bulletins, current affairs, under pressure as viewership of flagship shows keeps dropping.

Yet the SABC in an annual report filled with several misrepresentations and half-truths, include ridiculous statements that's simply not true and effusively go on in the latest annual report on how the South African public broadcaster is supporting the local content industry.

The SABC can't stop emphasising how supporting, caring and helping it is towards the local South African TV production sector and how the SABC celebrates the successes. The painful irony couldn't cut any deeper.

Of course there's nobody actually checking the blatant inaccuracies in the SABC's annual report 2010/2011. The broadcaster makes all kinds of sweeping statements and generalizations that's simply not true and not grounded in reality - except for the trashy Safta awards the struggling broadcaster rightly did win at that devoid-of-all-credibility shamfest of a South African awards ceremony. Why anyone in their right mind would actually want to include that in their official annual report is another matter entirely.

Who are the people who compiled and read and supposedly approved this messy SABC annual report? The SABC's annual report of 2010/2011 is not really worse than last year's really badly done one, but it's on the same level bad.

Just after the embarrassing photo on page 6 of the SABC3 continuity presenters (can someone please tell the upper SABC exec-ey people who seems out of touch that they don't do or have that anymore?) (like Jason Greer who's now been with M-Net for years) the dear dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson says ''ongoing interaction has occurred with all labour groups from the commencement of the turnaround process, while communication channels have been kept interactive and dynamic''.
Reality check: Not one labour union at the SABC will agree with this statement.

''The organisation continued with its regular local content programming, with several new and groundbreaking shows being commissioned and broadcast during the 2010/11 financial year,'' says the acting group CEO Phil Molefe.
Reality check: Phil Molefe must be talking about some advertiser-funded production (AFP's). And the bit about regular local content programming is blatantly not accurate.

Later, on page 24, explaining why the SABC's TV channel's lost audience share, the SABC suddenly does a turn-around and says it because of ''increased competition and reduced investment on local content'' and that especially SABC3 suffered because of ''increased competition from broadcasters; lack of investment in new content and poor scheduling strategies''.

''Despite austerity measures, which significantly affected local programme commissioning, the SABC generally met its mandate,'' says the SABC on page 57.

Then Phil Molefe states in the SABC's annual report 2010/2011 that ''during the year under review, the SABC continued to cement good relations with all key stakeholders in the creative industry, business community, suppliers, various social partners, and the public at large.''
Reality check: What a stretch. The SABC does not have a good relationship with the press and does not have a good relationship with local producers and the local production industry at large who have to usually beg for facetime and meetings.

Is it a wonder that Lerato Nage, the acting chief financial officer (CFO) notes: ''Challenges have been encountered with maintenance of accurate listings of local content which have led to the audit qualification.''

''In the year under review all channels exceeded their overall local content quotas – 55% and 35% for Public and Public Commercial Channels respectively,'' says the SABC on page 60.
Reality check: I wonder how the SABC determines that, given that the regulator, ICASA, says it's unable to monitor whether the SABC is in actual compliance with local content quotas?

Page 95 is also laughable. ''Being in the film industry, the SABC recognises the fact that its future sustainability and competitive edge, relies on a strong and professional film industry, and as such continues to lend ongoing support to the industry,'' says the SABC.
Reality check: Yeah, right.

BREAKING. SABC: 'We haven't really launched the SABC's 24 hour news channel on the date we had targeted but the process is underway.'

''The SABC's 24 hour news channel is another project in SABC News that is underway,'' dr Ben Ngubane, SABC chairperson just told parliament moments ago.

''We haven't really launched the SABC's 24 hour news channel on the date that we had targeted but the process is underway because we now are engaging the department of communications and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) in assisting to put in place what will be required for the launch of the 24 hour service,'' dr Ben Ngubane told parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

The SABC that is calling its 24 hour news channel News24 - at least for now - initially intended to to launch the new digital channel from 1 April 2011 but missed that target date. Then the SABC told parliament earlier this year that it's new target date is 1 October to launch News24. That date also seems unlikely.

''The news division of the SABC has been working on this project for quite some time now,'' Phil Molefe, the SABC's acting group CEO told parliament. ''We're building a studio fascility for this project, so a great deal of progress has been made and we're ready for this project.''

''Yes, there are areas that still need to be addressed,'' Phil Molefe said. ''This is largely around the question of funding for the 24 hour news channel. We have made submissions for funding to the department of communications for funding.''


ALSO READ: SABC failing on its digitisation targets; behind on its digital terrestrial television infrastructure upgrades.
ALSO READ: SABC busy with aggressive sports coverage austerity measures and cutting back on sports coverage production.

The SABC's new acting group CEO Phil Molefe tells SABC2's Morning Live: 'There is no crisis at the SABC.'

In his first appearance on his own broadcast system and with no pesky hardball questions, as the SABC's brand-new acting group CEO, Phil Molefe took to the airwaves this morning on SABC2's breakfast show Morning Live with Leanne Manas and Vuyo Mbuli to flat-out deny that there is any crisis at the beleaguered South African public broadcaster rocked by upheaval once again.

ALSO READ: Complete coverage of the latest SABC executive level scandal.

Phil Molefe whose own appointment as the new head of TV news and current affairs ignited its own firestorm last year, said there is no crisis at the SABC and that the SABC board and executive management are continuing their work.