HLAUDI MOTSOENENG could be fired by the SABC by the end of this week after a meeting of the portfolio committee on communications.
The committee took strong exception yesterday to the SABC board's defiance of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) judgment and wants answers on the rehiring of Motsoeneng in a different position.
The SABC board and its executive management is meeting MPs on Wednesday over the reappointment of Motsoeneng.
Despite suffering a financial loss of R411 million in the last financial year, the SABC has also incurred irregular expenditure of R5 billion.
In the financial statements of the SABC, the auditor-general said no disciplinary action was taken against officials responsible for this irregular expenditure.
Committee chairperson Humphrey Maxegwana did not mince his words yesterday on the SABC’s defiance of the SCA and Western Cape High Court. The SABC’s defiance also followed on the Presidency and the cabinet's criticisms last week.
But MPs appear to have a final say on Motsoeneng’s future as they seem intent on getting rid of him as soon as possible.
The cabinet also expressed a similar sentiment last week.
Maxegwana said they will not tolerate the defiance of the courts by the SABC board.
“We want the SABC board to tell us, because this meeting has been communicated to them on the court judgments,” said Maxegwana.
He said the SABC board's answers must give clarity on how a man whose appointment as chief operating officer was found by the courts to have been irrational, and had to be set aside, got appointed to a different position. These are the questions the board will need to answer on Wednesday.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago refused to comment on the reported loss of R496m in the past five months, but hinted that Motsoeneng could attend Wednesday’s meeting.