Durban - The DA has added to the discontent surrounding the SABC's Hlaudi Motsoeneng after it called for the city to revoke the "special recognition award" it presented to the public broadcaster's former chief operations officer.
The official opposition in Durban was up in arms after a notice motion in terms of Rules of Order 22 was rejected because of a pending investigation into the matter. The motion aimed to discuss Motsoeneng being stripped of the gong he received from the city at the 9th annual Living Legends Awards last month.
In a letter to eThekwini Speaker Lekgoa Mapena, the DA's ward 48 councillor and eThekwini caucus chairman, Bradley Singh, had asked that the issue be tabled for discussion during the sitting of the executive committee last week.
However, the request was turned down by Mapena, who cited a section of Rules of Order 19, which states: "The Speaker must disallow a notice of motion that concerns a matter in respect of which there is an official investigation and such discussion may compromise the investigation."
Writing to Mapena, Singh said the fact that Motsoeneng did not live in KwaZulu-Natal, had failed in his recent appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeals to remain COO of the SABC, and had been found to have lied about his qualifications when applying for the post of COO, rendered him an unworthy recipient of the award.
"It seems the latest antic by the eThekwini Municipality to give Hlaudi Motsoeneng an eThekwini Living Legend Award is a slap in the face to all the citizens in Durban."
According to Singh, Motsoeneng had not done or fought for anything for him to "fit the description" of a Living Legend.
Mdu Nkosi, IFP eThekwini caucus leader, said he had been shocked when Motsoeneng was presented with the award because he had nothing to do with the city. "Despite the bad publicity that Motsoeneng is getting, here comes our city who just decided to bestow him with such an honour. For what reason?
"Even the city manager had not been aware he was going to be given this award, and I wrote to him telling him this proves this was fraudulent, and that officials in the city do as they please."
Daily News