Hlaudi had no respect for his contract – SABC board chair
Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng had complete disregard for his employment contract which led to his dismissal, interim board chair at the SABC Khanyisile Kweyama said on Monday.
“You had a contract and you didn’t respect your contract, therefore we don’t have to respect our part of the contract,” Kweyama said at a press briefing at the SABC.
Kweyama said the decision taken by the board to dismiss Motsoeneng was binding. She said the interim board would not have advertised for permanent senior SABC appointments if their decisions were not binding.
The SABC dismissed Motsoeneng after he was found guilty in an internal disciplinary hearing.
“The chair has given us feedback this morning. He has recommended (which the board has accepted) that Motsoeneng be dismissed from the SABC. The SABC board has accepted those recommendations and we have communicated with Motsoeneng the decisions of the SABC.”
Kweyama could not however divulge how much of a notice period was given to Motsoeneng.
The three weeks disciplinary hearings which were open to the media reached its conclusion on Friday evening in Sandton.
Motsoeneng faced charges of bringing the SABC into disrepute and causing irreparable damage to his employer.
Kweyama said the decision to dismiss Motsoeneng had already been communicated with the minister of communications Ayanda Dlodlo.
She said Motsoeneng’s appeal conditions could not be around the contract because he had contravened the terms of employment.
The board has seemingly been hard at work to restructure SABC policy such as the 90% local content policy which Motsoeneng insisted on. Kweyana said the policy had since been rescinded.
The policy which became the legacy of Motsoeneng was called drastic by Kweyama who added that it had been a source of revenue loss when applied to all platforms on radio.
“The SABC interim board is not anti-transformation. Icasa has set rules that are very pro transformation.”
Kweyama said the interim board had already made progress in the appointments of key positions at the SABC including Motsoeneng’s former position as COO and group executive of radio.
“We are pleased to say that the process of advertising has closed. We are now embarking on a process of screening and interviewing candidates. Within a few months we will have proper leadership in the SABC.”
The SABC board which has been at the helm for only four months said they have also made headway in negotiations out of controversial contracts like the TNA breakfast show.
“We have issued a notice to cancel that contract. It normally takes 11 months… We are engaging with TNA on cancelling that contract sooner.”
The last broadcast of the TNA breakfast was on Friday, she said.
“From now on we will not be broadcasting any breakfast.”
The board has also rescinded the editorial code which barred journalists from reporting on violent protests. She said a series of workshops to ensure a proper integration back to the 2014 editorial code would commence shortly.