Durban - The eThekwini municipality has recognised controversial SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng as a luminary in the city.
Opposition parties at City Hall in Durban are livid.
The city on Saturday, in a glittering event, honoured 10 past and present eThekwini citizens who have contributed to the upliftment and development of society. The event was the ninth instalment of the eThekwini Living Legends awards.
The awards, according to the city’s media invitation, “acknowledge individuals with outstanding achievements, and those who have demonstrated a sustained and extraordinary contribution to the municipality’s legacy, in various categories of expertise”.
Motsoeneng is understood to be the first person outside of KwaZulu-Natal to receive the “special recognition award”. Organisations such as the LIV Village, the KZN Society for the Blind and the Willowton Group have all previously received the special award. The first two are based in Durban and the latter is in Pietermaritzburg.
City communications head Tozi Mthethwa explained that the special recognition award was bestowed on “someone who has made an impact on the lives of people in this country, irrespective of which city or province they are from”.
“The role Motsoeneng has played in securing the future of many local artists must be commended. Motsoeneng was instrumental in the introduction of a 90 percent local-content quota at the SABC. This has had a far-reaching impact on the lives of many local artists, and Durban artists have also benefited.”
DA provincial and eThekwini caucus leader Zwakele Mncwango and IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi were unimpressed.
“He made it seem as if he took the decision all by himself,” Nkosi said of Motsoeneng’s acceptance speech.
“The whole event just became about the ANC... This is ratepayers’ money, not the ANC’s.”
He said it was just an event to honour ANC leaders, with the exception of a few. “What also hurt me was ANC supporters chanting party slogans.”
Nkosi said he could not understand the reason for honouring Motsoeneng.
“I understand with people like Minister Naledi Pandor, who was born here. There was no clear explanation.”
Mncwango pointed a finger at parks, recreation and culture head Thembinkosi Ngcobo, whose department organised the event. “The problem is that we have an official who does not know where his role ends,” he said.
The Mercury