Warning to witnesses in #sabcinquiry saga

File picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

File picture: Motshwari Mofokeng

Published Jan 14, 2017

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Cape Town - Parliament has threatened to take legal action against those who did not take its inquiry into the affairs of the SABC seriously and gave contradictory evidence in the matter.

Addressing the ad hoc committee on Friday, chairman Vincent Smith said it was clear some witnesses had not taken the inquiry seriously.

“We will throw the book at those who have undermined Parliament in this respect. Somebody has misled Parliament. Somebody has not taken us seriously. And somebody has to pay the price for it. There can’t be such grave

contradictions.”

Smith made the comment after former SABC board chairman Ben Ngubane finalised his evidence on Friday.

At the hearing, Ngubane contradicted previous testimony made to the committee that the SABC incurred costs for hosting The New Age breakfasts.

This prompted Smith to note three other contradictory testimonies made last month.

Earlier the committee got off to a rocky start, with Ngubane complaining about not being given adequate time to prepare for the inquiry.

“My head was shaved in this House in my absence. You allowed people to comment on (sic) me without letting me know,” he said, before warning about reserving his rights if an adverse finding was made against him.

However, Smith told Ngubane the inquiry was not about individuals, but to get an holistic picture of affairs at the public broadcaster.

“You’ve just sworn that you will answer all questions legally put to you, notwithstanding the reservations you have,” Smith said.

Throughout his testimony Ngubane, who chaired the board between 2010 and 2013, was defiant and he took a swipe at the report of former public protector Thuli Madonsela, which made findings against him and chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

He claimed the report was compiled out of statements he was not asked to corroborate. “If she (Madonsela) chooses to condemn me, that’s her choice. It’s not informed by fact”.

Ngubane heaped praises on Motsoeneng, who rose through the ranks at SABC, despite not having a matric. He said Motsoeneng was hired because of his skills. He also spoke of how they “cleaned up” the SABC after they found it bankrupt.

“It was in a mess. We tried to stop the haemorrhaging of money. There was huge theft going on,” he said when accused of damaging the public broadcaster.

Former board chairwoman Ellen Tshabalala, who presided over the board between 2013 and 2015, also appeared before the committee.

Tshabalala said the board had been surprised by the behaviour of the public protector’s office when it published its report into the affairs of the SABC before they received it.

She was, however, disturbed that some of the complainants were former SABC employees who never took up their concerns with the board, portfolio committee or the minister.

She claimed there was “gross political interference” in the affairs of the public broadcaster, and implicated SACP general secretary Blade Nzimande, the ANC and DA.

She denied she had bullied the board to appoint Motsoeneng during her tenure.

“I can reserve my rights, but to answer the question, I did not bully the members,” she said.

Political Bureau

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