Parliament – Former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board chairman Ben Ngubane went to great lengths on Friday to defend controversial SABC executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng, and condemn former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's work.
Testifying in the parliamentary inquiry into the affairs of the SABC, Ngubane first took issue with the ad hoc committee conducting the probe.
"My head was shaved in this House in my absence. You allowed people to comment on me without letting me know... I should be here or send representatives."
Ngubane told MPs he reserved the right to take legal action should they make adverse findings against him. Committee chairman Vincent Smith told Ngubane that the inquiry was not focused on individuals, but on fixing the mess at the SABC.
"You've just sworn that you will answer all questions legally put to you, notwithstanding the reservations you have," said Smith.
Turning to the Public Protector's report which made scathing findings against both Ngubane, questioning his leadership, and Motsoeneng, who was found to have lied about his matric qualificaitons, the former SABC board chairman said Thuli Madonsela's findings were not based on fact.
"This report is created out of statements I was not asked to corroborate," he said.
"If she [Madonsela] chooses to condemn me, that's her choice... it's not informed by fact.
"My view is this country is in trouble. People hate each other. They group people into camps, you are in the wrong camp, so I take you out, that's how I view the Public Protector's report."
On the rise of Motsoeneng from producer of a current affairs show in the Free State to the position of chief operating officer, Ngubane said that despite his lack of formal qualificaitons, he was a skilled person.
"On the issue of matric, Hlaudi was appointed at SABC in 1995. Hlaudi had been a streetkid without parents, without a home. He reached a level of matric but he couldn't finish that," he said, adding that information Motsoeneng provided to the local radio station, Lesedi FM, had led to the news ratings improving dramatically.
"We took this person because of his skills and incorporated him into SABC."
Ngubane contradicted the testimony of former acting chief executive, Phil Molefe, who told MPs that Motsoeneng attended board meetings even though he was not a member, and that his salary was irregularly adjusted several times.
"He [Molefe] said some things that are not true at all."
He insisted that Motsoeneng had been appointed as the board's stakeholder relations and public relations officer, and defended several salary increases given to Motsoeneng.
As acting chief operating officer, Motsoeneng's salary had increased by 63 percent, something found to be irregular by the Public Protector.
"The SABC is audited by independent auditors and the Auditor General also came...none of the audit findings point to that as irregular as improper, wasteful and fruitless expenditure."
Asked why he did not challenge the Public Protector's report, Ngubane said it was not his responsibility but the SABC's to take her report on review. He was further asked whether it was because he did not care about the SABC and was in fact guilty of damaging the corporation.
"I did not cause damage at SABC. I saved the SABC. It was bankrupt when we [former board] came," he said angrily.
"It was in a mess. We sat around trying to stop the haemorrhaging of money. There was huge theft going on.... so don't accuse me falsely of destroying the SABC."