Parliament – An ad hoc committee probing the SABC has heard how Hlaudi Motsoeneng was “airlifted and parachuted” to headquarters where his career rapidly advanced because he enjoyed political protection from a powerful source.
This was the testimony of the SABC’s former acting group chief executive officer, Phillip Molefe, during Parliament’s inquiry investigating the public broadcaster’s board.
Molefe, who held the position from July, 2011, to January, 2012, said on Friday that during his time at the helm of the broadcaster, he witnessed Motsoeneng’s rapid ascension to power and when he (Molefe) did not toe the line he soon lost his job.
Motsoeneng was appointed to three senior positions in a space of just one year at the expense of other senior employees who were either overlooked or removed to make way for him.
Molefe said Motsoeneng arrived at SABC headquarters in 2010 from the Free State where he had held a junior position as producer at Lesedi FM and became general manager in the office of the then chief executive, Solly Mokoetle.
Molefe said the position was created solely for Motsoeneng.
The following year, Motsoeneng was made group executive officer for Stakeholder Relations, a position that was held by Minister Blade Nzimande’s wife, Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande.
“She was removed to make way for Hlaudi. Phumelele Ntombela-Nzimande was a very competent member of the staff in the organisation who was removed without justification.
“She held a post-graduate position, I can’t speak for Mr Motsoeneng but she was qualified for that position.
“He (Motsoeneng) was brought to Johannesburg, literally airlifted and parachuted from the Free State to GM in the CEO’s office.”
Months later Motsoeneng was appointed by the board’s then chairman, Dr Ben Ngubane, as acting group chief executive officer in Molefe’s absence and the next day, as acting chief operations officer (COO). He was appointed to the post permanently in 2014.
Molefe told the inquiry that just days after Motsoeneng had been appointed as acting COO, he went to his office asking for a R500000 increment.
“In late November he came to me asking for a salary increment. I refused and said increments were subject to board approval,” Molefe said.
“In December I was called to Dr Ngubane’s office where I found Mr Motsoeneng. Dr Ngubane handed me a letter recommending a salary increase for Mr Motsoeneng.
“I refused to sign the letter and said that under no circumstances would I sign the letter.
“Then Mr Motsoeneng stood up and said ‘Chair I told (you), this is not our man, so I am going to Pretoria tonight’. The increment was irregularthat is why I did not agree to it. My understanding of him going to Pretoria was going to a higher authority."
When asked by the DA's Phumzile van Damme if President Jacob Zuma’s name had ever been used in order to favour Motoseneng, Molefe said yes.
“In the public it had emerged that he was a favoured by the president,” he said.
Molefe said that from the time he refused to authorise Motsoeneng’s increment, he became a target and was never interviewed for the position he was acting in before he eventually left the organisation.