SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng: South African decoder manufacturers must now also pay a levy to SABC to support the public broadcaster.

Because a lot of South African TV households simply don't – or can't – pay their annual SABC TV licence, the public broadcaster's chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng now wants decoder manufacters to pay a levy and contribute to the SABC.

The controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is currently mired in a protracted court case following the Public Protector's report from February 2014 ordering him to be suspended and finding that he "never should have been appointed at the SABC", as well as the Western Cape High Court which ruled twice that the SABC suspend him and start a disciplinary hearing immediately. He is appealing the decision.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng this year already said several times publicly that Naspers' satellite pay-TV platform MultiChoice, which runs the DStv service and carries SABC channels, must pay the SABC and that he wants more money from MultiChoice.

On Monday at the latest The New Age breakfast briefing held in Sandton, Hlaudi Motsoeneng reiterated that the "MultiChoice partnership is to also make sure that we sustain employees within the SABC, we create jobs".

The finger-waving Hlaudi Motsoeneng on Monday said that he now also wants decoder manufacters to now contribute to the SABC and pay a levy – especially new decoder manufacturers who are getting lucrative government tenders worth millions of rand to manufacture the locally-produced set-top boxes (STBs) which millions of TV households will have to buy in the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

"Some of our own people can't pay TV licence. How do we make sure that when these people manufacture those boxes, they also pay levy for SABC to represent those people who can't afford to pay TV licence? They should also contribute as business people," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng as decoder manufacturers who were present shook their heads and one uttered a silent "wow".

"In other countries, you know what actually happens, people don’t pay TV licence," Hlaudi Motsoeneng informed the audience.

"Your decoders, when you buy decoders, you pay TV licence – the business people."

"We are also saying the same manufacturers, when they distribute those decoders, they should be able to say 'Where is your TV licence?' But they shall make sure that they pay TV licence first."

DTT contact centre

Details have so far been scarce about the national contact centre that must be established to help ordinary South Africans with enquiries and help over the phone with their decoders, faults, and decoder and antenna installation issues after they buy a STB during the digital TV migration process.

At the breakfast briefing, the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, said that it will have to be made as easy as possible for people.

"I’m a decoder holder of DStv," said Faith Muthambi. "I need to stand on the line, phone the call centre, you’ll be told you're caller 2 000 and something. It's airtime that I'm using, and then I have to hold. The thing about the poor old man somewhere in the Northern Cape who is relying on a pension grant, where is he going to get this money?"

No talk about EPG, channel allocation

At the breakfast briefing it was revealed that no discussions regarding DTT have taken place about the consolidation of on-air services, like the electronic programme guide (EPG) for free-to-air STBs or channel allocation – which TV channel gets what number and is placed where.

The government has no answers for how the 5 million poor TV households who will get a STB for free worth about R700 to R800, as well as antennas through the South African Post Office, will be prevented from selling that asset for money once they receive it.

The government has set aside billions of rand to subsidise 5 million of the poorest TV households who will get a STB for free, although it worked with outdated figures which according to the 2011 national census places indigent households who will actually qualify for a free decoder now at 8.3 million.

South Africa is years behind with the switch from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting and on 17 June embarrassingly missed the international agreed-upon deadline of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to complete the process.

On Monday at the breakfast briefing, Solly Mokoetle, the head of South Africa's DTT programme said missing the deadline "is not a train smash".

SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng: 'People must applaud SABC' because 'there is money at the SABC'; MultiChoice must 'sustain' SABC employees.

The SABC's chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng says MultiChoice must carry the public as he again lashed out at print media in South Africa as being "misleading" about the public broadcaster and saying people need to "applaud the SABC" because "there is money at the SABC".

The controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng is currently mired in a protracted court case following the Public Protector's report from February 2014 ordering him to be suspended, as well as the Western Cape High Court which ruled twice that the SABC suspend him and start a disciplinary hearing immediately. Hlaudi Motsoeneng is appealing the decision.

The caustic and  finger-waving Hlaudi Motsoeneng again took to the stage at The New Age breakfast briefing about digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration on Monday in Sandton, once again making utterances that had those attending laughing awkwardly and uncomfortably throughout when he spoke, while some shook their heads in disbelief and one guest was caught saying "wow".

The SABC's newsly appointed CE) Frans Matlala attended The New Age breakfast briefing but sat quietly in the audience and didn't speak as Hlaudi Motsoeneng unleashed his zingers.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said SABC broadcasts are not disrupted by rain fade like another broadcaster and that MultiChoice must make sure that the pay-TV operator "sustains" the SABC.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng also publicly slammed the SABC's former COO, Solly Mokoetle, who was a panelist next to him on the stage – twice – as well as South African newspapers who he claims are "misleading" South Africans about the SABC and it's financial state because they are in competition with the public broadcaster.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said the SABC's own audience is "very happy with the SABC". 

'MultiChoice must make sure it sustains SABC employees'

"People are talking about another small broadcaster somewhere, they are having the best technology," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"Actually they don't have better technology than SABC. Because we have the HD. Our own outside broadcast vans. They are in HD. But in our studio we have what we call analogue."

"If you compare us and them, when it's rains, it's a mess for them. We are still on the terrestrial, we're doing very well."

"With MultiChoice, it's partnership. We have what is called 'must-carry'. It is a regulations from Icasa, not from SABC. Must-carry means the SABC channels they must be carried by pay-TV. Not MultiChoice. All pay-TV. You know you have another pay-TV. They carry those channels of the SABC. But when people talk, they about MultiChoice."

"We approached MultiChoice. We said to MultiChoice: 'You need to contribute to the public. Because it can't be public for free. What is your contribution to the public?' They said no but the law says we must carry you. I said to them: 'Carry the public".

"That MultiChoice partnership is to also to make sure that we sustain employees within the organisation [SABC], we create jobs, which we have already done within the organisation," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Better than Solly

"We have outdone Solly Mokoetle here. From performance. As current leadership of the organisation. Because they could not raise any funds to sustain that organisation. He was the COO of the SABC. When we took over, SABC is sustainable today," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng in a sideswipe to Solly Mokoetle sitting next to him who is now the head of South Africa's DTT programme. 

'Our own audience are very happy'

Hlaudi Motsoeneng again publicly slammed South African newspaper journalism as he's done several times this year, speaking about the SABC's relationship with The New Age newspaper.

"Our own audience are very happy," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "Our audience they have never complain about the relationship between us and MultiChoice, and between New Age. Because it is a good relationship."

"We share the same vision with New Age. And I said to them: 'The day you portray South Africa as bad, that day SABC withdraw from this relationship."

"We Africans, we undermine ourselves. When you go to other countries, where there's BBC. Just check how they report about their country. They report very good about their country."

"We Africans, our mindset, we need to work on our mindset to be African mindset."

"Some people they always make this noise, this hullabaloo, about the SABC. We always have our own consultation with our own audience. Actually they are more than happy," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. 

'We need to applaud SABC'

"We need to applaud SABC," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "I need to deal with this notion that SABC is not sustainable financially. The boxing back, everything is back that people have been crying about. That shows that SABC is doing better."

"My former COO here, he knows that. The SABC could never do that but now we are able to do that." 

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "You choose in life. Partnership is all about choosing. You can't go and choose someone who is collapsing tomorrow and you want to do business with that. I need more business from MultiChoice, to invest so that we can empower people."

"There was no money at the SABC. There is money at the SABC. Don't take what you are reading at the newspaper because they mislead because they are competing with SABC," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Missed digital terrestrial television (DTT) deadline of 17 June 'is not a train smash' says head of DTT programme, Solly Mokoetle.

South Africa which missed the internationally agreed to deadline of 17 June 2015 to complete the switch from analogue to digital TV transmission "is not a train smash", says Solly Mokoetle, the head of the country's DTT programme.

South Africa is years behind schedule for digital TV and missed the agreed to deadline of 17 June of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to complete the commercial switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) - a process which takes around 5 years.

South Africa no longer has the protection of the ITU when it comes to things like signal interference. The multiple expensive ongoing DTT delays have hampered South Africa's release of much needed spectrum and continue to negatively impact growth and development in South Africa's TV broadcasting and broadband industries.

Despite several false starts and constantly moved announced dates by the department of communications over the past decade, South Africa has not even started the commercial switch-on period, which will take a few years to get to the stage where analogue signals in the dual illumination period can finally be switched off.

TV households will have to buy an expensive set-top box (STB), not yet available, for around R700 to R800, and in several instances also a new TV antenna at an additional cost, to get the digital transmission of existing TV channels.

Around 5 million poorest TV households will get a free STB government hand-out box. Another 3 million South African TV households who will not qualify, will have to buy a STB.

"Digital migration is not a single day event," said Solly Mokoetle. He was a panelist at Monday morning's The New Age breakfast briefing held in Sandton.

"Digital migration is a process," said Solly Mokoetle, admitting that "we've had some stumbling blocks in South Africa for a while, around the approval of the [DTT] policy."

"In fact, in South Africa we already have dual illumination. Which means if you have a STB out there that can receive the digital signal, then definitely you will be digital."

"And I'm saying it is not a train smash," said Solly Mokoetle.

"On 17 June when the ITU deadline reached there were 5 countries in Africa which met the deadline. Most countries have taken long. The United Kingdom took about 13 years to do DTT. We have taken 8 years of which we are still going through the obstacle of policy."

"We are looking at a period of about 18 to 24 months to be able to complete the entire digital migration and to release the digital dividend. But before that we will have reached the stage of analogue switch-off and we will be advising minister of communications Faith Muthambi to declare that period very, very soon," said Solly Mokoetle.


Millions more poor homes than 5 million households
Solly Mokoetle said the STB will no longer come with internet services on the decoder. "Not at this point. The box that we have is a simple box that enables you to watch your television as you were watching before but with better quality and more channels. It is about that. It is not more bells and whistles."

"We are talking here about the subsides box. There will be boxes in retail that are issued out by the broadcasters themselves that may have other features."

Sekoetlane Phamodi, coordinator of the SOS Coalition, which is a civil society, non-profit pressure group advocating for public broadcasting, said millions more South African TV households - many more than the 5 million - are poor according to the 2011 census and need to be given subsidised STBs.

"They also do desperately need to be given these boxes for free as well, given what the census figures tell us about the economic conditions of the people of our country".

"It's quite true," admitted Pumla Radebe, the chairperson of the state-owned Universal Service and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA).

"When government took the decision, the number was set at 5 million households. And the recent census that we have, has indicated that the figure of indigent households have grown. We currently have a figure of 8.2 million households," said Pumla Radebe.

South African government today misses the international deadline of 17 June to complete the switch to digital terrestrial television.

In a highly embarrassing failure of the South African government, the country today fails to meet the internationally agreed to deadline of 17 June to switch off analogue TV signals.

With numerous false starts, empty promises, mired in litigation and with a lack of leadership at the department of communications over the better part of half a decade, the South African government has not even started the commercial switch-on process of digital terrestrial television (DTT).

This commercial dual illumination period of the process known as digital migration – during which South African TV viewers will have to fork out around R700 to R800 for a locally manufactured set-top box (STB) just to keep watching free-to-air TV channels like the SABC and e.tv – is expected to take between four and five years to complete until the analogue signals can be switched off.

South Africa which was supposed to have reached the switch-off point by today, in line with the signed deadline agreement of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), has not even started the commercial switch-on period.

TV viewers no longer protected

From today South African analogue TV viewers are no longer protected by the ITU from signal interference.

After numerous announced commercial switch-on dates for DTT came and went, South Africa’s minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, is silent on a new date, saying the process – mired by infighting between broadcasters and manufacturers, confusion and allegations of corruption over the R4.3 billion STB tenders and further delayed by court action – will start soon.

"The process of rolling out STBs is aimed at a period of between 18 to 24 months once the minister announced dual illumination period after consulting the cabinet based on the potential timelines of the availability of STBs," says Solly Mokoetle, South Africa’s head of the DTT programme.

"The department anticipates the roll-out of STBs to be completed in the coming 18 to 24 months so that South Africans can switch off analogue signal," says the department of communications in a statement.

Numerous DTT problems

So far South Africans have not been told by government exactly how much they will have to pay for a STB which the government plans to distribute for the poorest people through the South African Post Office and the long-promised national DTT customer call centre is not operational.

Only a fraction of South Africa TV households, the poorest of the poor, will be subsidised with the cost of their STB – but the money allocated for these roughly 5 million households is already not enough. There is no definite indication of who qualifies, how they have to "prove" they're poor enough, and there's doubts about how the South Africa Post Office – mired in its own troubles – will be able to do DTT distribution.

South Africa started planning for DTT over a decade ago – the first country in Africa to do so, only to be passed by other countries on the African continent, and now missing the deadline. Not moving from analogue to digital broadcasting means much needed spectrum for internet broadband development can't be opened up.

Conflict and uncertainty continues around the STB tenders and tender process, encryption and conditional access control while the lack of real movement with DTT continues to stifle South Africa's TV industry with a growing threat to especially the free-to-air TV sector including the SABC as public broadcaster, community TV stations and e.tv.

The SABC has downsized its original DTT channels plan presented to parliament in 2011 and will now only launch 5 TV channels when it starts DTT (SABC1, SABC2, SABC3, SABC News, SABC Encore).

It's not yet clear how many new TV channels e.tv and M-Net will respectively launch under DTT as part of their new digital television bouquets. 

Both broadcasters have seen their available spectrum under DTT constantly reduced several times over the past few years as the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) kept re-issuing and revising digital terrestrial television migration regulations.

BREAKING. Solly Mokoetle got a R3,4 million golden handshake in his settlement to quit and resign as the SABC's group CEO.

The SABC caved under pressure and after first keeping it secret, has now revealed that it gave the suspended Solly Mokoetle R3,4 million in a golden handshake in a settlement to get the beleaguered group CEO to quit and resign.

An open joke told by many disheartened, shocked and disillusioned SABC workers yesterday and today at the public broadcaster's Auckland Park head office and relayed to me is this: ''I'm going to apply for the group CEO's position, mess it up within 6 months and walk away with millions. I wouldn't even have to play the Lotto!''

Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, says in a press release that ''the figure that we've given to him is R3,4 million which is inclusive of all the monies which was due to him and that is the final settlement as far as the SABC and its former group CEO is concerned.''

''Whilst wanting to respect the confidentiality of the settlement, it is in the interests of transparency and to put an end to negative and incorrect media reports that the SABC board has decided to make the discolsure. Solly Mokoetle was paid an equivalent of his 12 month's salary which amounts to R3,4 million inclusive of leave and other entitlements as a full and final settlement.''

The minister of communications Roy Padayachie also met with the SABC board today according to the broadcaster, and was told about the settlement amount. And what I can tell is that unlike some lets-make-up-the-news-as-we-go journalists wrote, the minister of communications was not involved in this dealmaking process at all. What did happen was that the minister asked today that Solly Mokoetle's settlement amount be disclosed after the broadcaster tried to keep it secret

ALSO READ: The SABC needs to say how many millions it paid its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle to go away.
ALSO READ: My full coverage of Solly Mokoetle's resignation.

FAIR COMMENT. The SABC needs to say how many millions it paid its idiotic and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle to just go away.

The South African public broadcaster, compulsoried financed by South African viewers and the government needs to say (and be forced to say) how many millions of rands it has agreed to pay it moronic, selfish, arrogant, self-delusional and utterly useless ex-group CEO Solly Mokoetle to just go away.

The SABC that's not a private company conveniently seems to forget that its paying the simple Solly with SABC licence payer money as well as government bail-out money which is South African tax payer money.

Solly Mokoetle spouting family values and fake sentiment about how he's leaving the SABC with love (bless!) is a fake sham. If he really meant that he wouldn't ask the cash-strapped SABC for a pay-out before he agreed to quit. He wouldn't have demanded through his lawyers that the pay-out be kept secret (since if he really was a good group CEO he would have known that the SABC is supposed to be transparent and that the SABC belong to the people). Only a conniving moron would demand money from a publicly institution and demand it be kept secret. Guess again simply Solly, journalists are gonna find out how much money you got away with. Its called accountability.

How much was Solly Mokoetle's settlement amount? The similarly paid-off-to-go-away Dali Mpofu got R14 million in his golden handshake as a massive payout from the broadcaster. If the super selfish Solly Mokoetle were paid the remainder of his unfilfilled contract based on his annual massive salary of R3 million, he would have gotten R12 million. That is while the SABC is deeply in the red, took government money and will be broke by September this year and go begging to government again for another bailout. Say it with me: RI-DI-CULOUS!

REACTION ON SOLLY MOKOETLE RESIGNATION: ''Step in the right direction to help stabilise the public broadcaster,'' says Bemawu.

In more reaction Bemawu, the SABC's biggest trade union is now weighing in on the resignation of Solly Mokoetle as the SABC's group CEO, and Bemawu which just sent me this statement, has this to say:

''Bemawu would like to laud Solly Mokoetle for the step he took in the right direction to help stabilise the public broadcaster by resigning today. The irreparable breakdown in the trust relationship between Solly Mokoetle and the SABC board has caused low morale with a negative impact on productivity. We are hopeful that the other problems between the chairperson and the SABC board, and in particular the allegations of breach of corporate governance will also be addressed soon. Once it has been sorted out the SABC will be able to return to stability and prosperity.''

ALSO READ: Full coverage of the suspended Solly Mokoetle's resignation news today.

ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from the Support Public Broadcasting (SOS) pressure group.
ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed).

REACTION ON SOLLY MOKOETLE RESIGNATION: ''High turn-over has been a factor in the instability at the SABC,'' says Sasfed.

You're reading it here first.

I have more reaction from the South African television industry on Solly Mokoetle's resignation, and just spoke with Feizel Mamdoo, co-chair of the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed):

''As Sasfed we are deeply concerned about the high turn-over of leadership at the SABC,'' says Feizel Mamdoo in reaction to the departing group CEO of the SABC. ''A high turn-over in executives have been a factor in the instability the industry has seen at the SABC. It's only possible for a meaningful turn-around at the South African public broadcaster to take place if this is looked at.''

''We're looking for leadership that is committed to the values of public broadcasting and somebody who can translate that into effective management processes and assistance at the SABC. The person [who replaces Solly Mokoetle] must have committment and a clear vision for public broadcasting in South Africa,'' says Feizel Mamdoo.

ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from Support Public Broadcasting (SOS).

BREAKING. SABC pays off its second suspended group CEO in a row with millions, after which ''Solly Mokoetle agreed to quit''.

To get him to simply go away the SABC decided to once again pay to get rid of the mess and agreed to pay its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle to resign with immediate effect which also brings an end to the incredibly acrimonious relationship between Solly Mokoetle and the SABC board and the drawn-out disciplinary hearing.

The SABC in a hastily, unplanned and urgently called press conference today refused to say how much Solly Mokoetle got as a golden hand-shake to go away and leave the SABC. Solly Mokoetle says it became clear to him that ''the relationship with the SABC has collapsed''.

SABC board member Cedric Gina said in the press conference that the SABC ''received an offer to settle from Solly Mokoetle's lawyers and we felt it would be in the best interests of everyone to end this process now. We have settled our disputes with his lawyers and Solly Mokoetle has agreed to quit his post of group CEO to pursue his career elsewhere. Yes, there is a payout, but we agreed between the parties that it will remain confidential.''

Solly Mokoetle's predecessor Gab Mampone also got suspended and was also paid million by the SABC to just go away after a growing and drawn-out fracturous relationship at SABC board level.

ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from Support Public Broadcasting (SOS).
ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation as group CEO at the SABC from the South African Screen Federation (Sasfed).
ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from the SABC's biggest trade union, Bemawu.
ALSO READ: Solly Mokoetle on his resignation as group CEO at the SABC: ''My relationship with the SABC collapsed''.
ALSO READ: SABC ends Solly Mokoetle's disciplinary hearing ''since he's no more an employee of the SABC''.
ALSO READ: The SABC confirms that Solly Mokoetle has resigned with immediate effect.
ALSO READ: The SABC calls for an urgent press conference later today regarding its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle.

BREAKING. Solly Mokoetle on his resignation as group CEO of the SABC: ''My relationship with the SABC collapsed.''

Solly Mokoetle, the SABC's embattled and suspended group CEO who resigned with ''immediate effect'' called today a ''sad day'' and referring to his acrimonious relationship with the SABC board says ''it became clear that the relationhip with the SABC collapsed.''

Solly Mokoetle who took a golden hand-shake of millions of rands to quit and leave the SABC immediately, says ''there was no way that we could work together. That is why I made up my mind. Instead of going to court and wasting more money which the organisation does not even have, I thought we can end this disruption in an amicable way."

He says he leaves the SABC ''with a heavy heart because I loved this organisation'' and that he has ''nowhere to go''. ''I thank the shareholders for assisting us to clear the path and come up with this settlement."

BREAKING. SABC ends Solly Mokoetle's disciplinary hearing since he's ''no more an employee of the SABC''.

You're reading it here first.

''Solly Mokoetle is no more an employee of the SABC,'' the SABC tells me after I just asked about what now about the acrimonious disciplinary proceedings and postponed disciplinary hearing costing the broadcaster hundreds of thousands of rands that was started at the end of last year against the embattled former group CEO of the SABC.

''There has been a settlement. Solly Mokoetle is no more an employee of the SABC. Therefore the SABC cannot continue to discipline him,'' I'm told. The SABC confirmed to me that Robin Nicholson will remain the acting group CEO in the place of Solly Mokoetle.

ALSO READ: Reaction on Solly Mokoetle's resignation from Support Public Broadcasting (SOS).
ALSO READ: The SABC confirms that its beleaguered and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle has resigned ''with immediate effect''.

REACTION ON SOLLY MOKOETLE RESIGNATION: ''The person replacing Solly is faced with massive challenges.''

You're reading it here first.

I can be first with reaction on the sudden resignation of the SABC's beleaguered and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle after a tenureship of exactly a year in which he managed to turn a large section of the SABC staff, South African television industry, as well as the SABC board against him.

''Two things,'' says Kate Skinner of the public pressure group Support Public Broadcasting (SOS). ''Firstly its good that the SABC can now move on. These problems around the disciplinary hearing of the SABC against Solly Mokoetle has dragged on too long. With Solly Mokoetle's resignation it means that the SABC can move forward by finding and employing a new group CEO.''

''There are lessons to be learned from what has happened between Solly Mokoetle and the SABC,'' Kate Skinner tells me. ''The new SABC board will now hopefully get to choose their own group CEO and not have someone appointed for them like Solly Mokoetle was. So hopefully if they get to choose their person, they can work better with that person.''

''Secondly the kind of person the SABC appoints as the new group CEO to replace Solly Mokoetle will be very important. The person replacing Solly Mokoetle is faced with massive challenges. The person has to be highly professional within the broadcasting arena and have a vision for public broadcasting specifically. I think the person will have to have a vision for the public broadcaster and it's a tall order. This person will have to - as a matter of urgency - sort out the SABC's delayed turnaround strategy which is absolutely critical.''

''Getting a turnaround strategy in place and implemented was Solly Mokoetle's first and most important task when he became group CEO at the SABC at the beginning of 2010. Now its 2011 and once again the SABC will get a new group CEO. The clock is ticking.''

ALSO READ: The SABC confirms that its group CEO, Solly Mokoetle has resigned with immediate effect.

BREAKING. SABC confirms that its group CEO, Solly Mokoetle has resigned with effect from today.

You're reading it here first.

The SABC just issued a terse press statement confirming the news that its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle has resigned ''with effect from 19 January and will pursue his career elsewhere''.

The broadcaster that pursued an acrimonious disciplinary hearing against Solly Mokoetle at the end of last year says ''the parties have settled all other disputes between them and wish each other well for the future.''

The SABC says nothing about a replacement, the process to find a new group CEO, or the disciplinary hearing that the broadcaster instituted after the SABC board had a falling out with the recalcitrant Solly Mokoetle and charges or corporate governance breaches that he was involved in.

The SABC just confirmed to me that Robin Nicholson is still and will continue to be the acting group CEO in the place of Solly Mokoetle who is gone from the broadcaster with ''immediate effect''.

ALSO READ: Solly Mokoetle resigns as group CEO of the SABC.
ALSO READ: The SABC calls for an urgent press conference this afternoon about its embattled and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle.

BREAKING. The suspended and embattled Solly Mokoetle resigns as group CEO of the SABC.

The embattled group CEO of the SABC, Solly Mokoetle who was suspended at the end of last year after which the public broadcaster started a disciplinary hearing against him, has resigned.

BREAKING. SABC calls an emergency press conference at 13:00 today about its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle.

The SABC board has just called an emergency press conference in less than an hour and a half from now about the South African public broadcaster's embattled and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle.

The broadcaster started a disciplinary hearing at the end of the year against Solly Mokoetle who took office exactly a year ago. The relationship between the recalcitrant group CEO and the SABC board soured quickly towards the middle of last year when it became clear that Solly Mokoetle was following unilaterally made decisions from the SABC board chairperson dr Ben Ngubane. The acrimonious and fractured relationship lead to Solly Mokoetle's suspension and disciplinary action being instituted against him.

The SABC board themselves has now called an urgent press conference for 13:00 that will be taking place at the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters - less than an hour and a half before its to take place. At this highly unusual called for press conference, the broadcaster is going to make an announcement regarding Solly Mokoetle's future and his position at the SABC.

Disciplinary hearing of SABC's suspended group CEO, Solly Mokoetle, postponed for a 4th time to January 2011.

The disciplinary hearing of the SABC's suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle hthat was supposed to resume again this week has yet again been postponed - now for the 4th time - and this time to January 2011.

Just watch out for bad journalists writing and saying its the SABC who did it, because its not and not correct. The SABC appointed an independent arbitrator to handle the disciplinary hearing, and the arbitrator decides on the meeting schedule - not the SABC.

Disciplinary hearing of the SABC's suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle suddenly postponed for a SECOND time.

Is there a worse-run broadcasting institution anywhere in South Africa more decrepit, incompetent, unorganized, confused, spineless and completely out of touch more than the SABC where the South African public broadcaster suspended its group CEO Solly Mokoetle and ordered a disciplinary hearing with 22 charges, only to now have stalled and postponed it indefinitely for a second time? Ludicrous.

After the disciplinary hearing of the suspended Solly Mokoetle started last Monday, only for it to be postponed indefinitely last Wednesday, and then starting again this Monday, it has now been suspended AGAIN, and again indefinitely. Of course SABC license payers money as well as tax payers money are used to pay for the SABC's legal representation in this drawn-out arbitration affair in which the suspended Solly Mokoetle is accused, amongst other things, of failing to draft and implement a turnaround strategy for the beleaguered broadcaster.

It's almost December and bonus time. Since working at the SABC seems to work like dog years, the beleaguered Solly Mokoetle who started on 10 January 2010 has basically been group CEO for nine months when he got suspended in September. That's nine, bring over the 2 and then . . . 
Which basically now begs the question: Is the SABC board suddenly going to give Solly Mokoetle a R30 million contract payout and ''golden handshake'' just like the SABC's interim board did last August (how time flies!) with the SABC's previous group CEO, who became the previous suspended group CEO Dali Mpofu, who got R12 million?

ALSO READ: The SABC's suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle to now represent himself in his disciplinary hearing.
ALSO READ: Disciplinary hearing of the SABC's suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle suddenly postponed indefinitely.

Disciplinary hearing of the SABC's suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle is starting today.

The disciplinary hearing against the SABC's beleaguered and suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle started today.

The suspended Solly Mokoetle has to answer on a range of charges by the SABC board, mostly about his failure to create, implement and drive a crucial turn-around strategy for the struggling South African public broadcaster.

Solly Mokoetle who has an extremely fracturous relationship with the SABC board and only acted upon orders by the SABC chairperson dr Ben Ngubane - for instance unilaterally appointing Phil Molefe as the SABC's head of news - was suspended by the SABC board in September after only nine months in office since his appointment in January. Robin Nicholson is currently the acting group CEO at the SABC.

Sad Solly's simply gotta go: ''SABC board is fully committed to get rid of Solly Mokoetle,'' says insider.

The SABC board is slowly but surely wriggling the knife deeper and deeper. In ''return'' for keeping up with the insipidly sorry broadcasting bom dr Ben Ngubane as SABC chairman and finally caving to his unilateral decision to appoint Phil Molefe as the SABC's head of news, they will now have the scalp of the SABC's group CEO Solly Mokoetle.

''Basically it's a trade-off of sorts. Phil for Solly,'' a source close to the SABC board tells me. ''The disaster [with the appointment of] with Phil Molefe made the SABC board [who finally chose to confirm the unilateral appointment] adamant that it will give them even greater leverage and substantial charges against Solly,'' I'm told.

''The SABC board's fully committed to get rid of Solly Mokoetle. Cannot stand him,'' I'm told by another high-level SABC insider with knowledge of the current situation (but who's not an SABC board member). Solly Mokoetle is currently suspended with a wide range of accusations leveled agsinst hime by the SABC board, arguing that Solly Mokoetle has not done enough to implement a turn-around strategy for the beleaguered public broadcaster as he was tasked to do.

BREAKING. SABC warns the government that it might . . . ask for more money after last year's bail-out due to a possible ''new deficit''.

In a report that the SABC board made to the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications the SABC board says the South African public broadcaster will not be able to pay back its debt repayment of R150 million to Nedbank in February 2012 unless its turnaround strategy is developed and implemented ''in the next three to four months''. Business Day was first with a story about this new report by the SABC board.

More shocking is that the SABC is now warning the government that the beleaguered broadcaster might need even more money in the form of government secured loans because of the lack of a turnaround strategy and more losses, warning of a ''new deficit''.

As I told you RIGHT HERE in August, the SABC board blames its suspended group CEO Solly Mokoetle for the lack of implementing a turnaround strategy for the SABC. In this open letter to the minister of communications which I published in August, you can see the SABC board stating that its most important issue is to get a turnaround strategy implemented.

In its submission the SABC board warns the government that more money in the form of government guaranteed loans might be necessary ''to cover a new deficit''.