Johannesburg - SABC acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng's salary is in line with his workload and responsibilities, his lawyer said on Thursday.
“Nowhere in the public protector's report is it suggested that the money he earned is not in line with the positions he occupied,” Zola Majavu told journalists in Johannesburg.
In her report released on Monday, Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found Motsoeneng's salary increased from R1.5 million to R2.4m in one year.
She recommended that measures be taken against outgoing CEO Lulama Mokhobo for her improper conduct in approving Motsoeneng's salary.
Majavu said: “We ask whether this is not his salary band... we believe it is. Go and find out how much a person who held his position back in 2010 earned. You will be surprised, Motsoeneng's salary was in accordance with the responsibilities.
“He did not give himself these responsibilities... the board did. As COO, he had to be paid in line with what executives earned.”
He said the statement in Madonsela's report that Motsoeneng gave himself salary hikes was not true.
Former SABC CEO Solly Mokoetle appointed Motsoeneng around 2010 as a “marksman”, to help turn the public broadcaster around.
“In that period, the SABC managed to offload its debt.”
Motsoeneng told Madonsela during an interview as part of her investigation that he was an action man, and that the SABC would collapse should he leave.
“He was hired for his talents, he is an action man and gets things done... sometimes he oversteps, but he gets things done.”
Majavu said Madonsela's report did not suggest Motsoeneng was useless and unable to do his job.
“Those who head-hunted him and hired him did it because of his talent.”
Sapa