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Drama follows axing of radio executive

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Original Post Date: 2008-05-08 Time: 00:00:00  Posted By: Jan

Lesedi FM current affairs executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who was fired by Snuki Zikalala last year and who is now believed to be at the centre of the SABC power struggle, was supposed to have been reinstated at the beginning of the month.

Motsoeneng, who for the past year has been fighting his dismissal, reached an agreement with the SABC a month ago to get his job back.

The suspension of both the SABC head of news and current affairs, Snuki Zikalala, and the group’s CEO, Dali Mpofu, is believed to be linked to the saga.

The Star understands that a senior ANC member instructed Mpofu to rehire Motsoeneng but Zikalala flatly refused.

SABC sources say Zikalala was suspended for not carrying out this order.

Motsoeneng on Wednesday refused to speak to The Star and referred all queries to his lawyer, Michael Murphy.

Motsoeneng was dismissed from the Free State SABC after he was charged with a series of offences, including non-compliance with the SABC code and for undue salary increases.

His dismissal was endorsed by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.

After his dismissal, he took up a position at the Free State department of local government and housing as its spokesperson, and appealed against the SABC’s decision to axe him.

This year, after a series of internal inquiries and even an application to the High Court to have an impartial arbitrator sit on the appeal, Motsoeneng won his job back.

Murphy on Wednesday told The Star that after winning the appeal, they had come to an agreement with the SABC that he would be reinstated.

“We had a very detailed appeal and we were very confident that we were going to win it. We did, and it was agreed that he would start work in May,” Murphy said.

Motsoeneng resigned from his post at the Free State department of local government and housing and was supposed to have assumed his duties at the SABC on May 1.

But by yesterday, Moetsoeneng was still in limbo and had not yet started work at the SABC.

Zikalala was suspended by Mpofu on Tuesday. And then, in a dramatic turn of events, Mpofu too was also suspended a few hours later – allegedly for not informing the SABC board about his decision to suspend Zikalala.

The board wanted Mpofu to re-instate Zikalala but he refused, and was subsequently suspended.


The Key Players

By Baldwin Ndaba

Supporters of President Thabo Mbeki and ANC president Jacob Zuma are at each other’s throats as the two factions battle for control of the SABC.

Mbeki’s supporters have embraced his decision to appoint the new SABC board while Zuma’s supporters have passed a motion of no confidence against it.

Zuma supporters are baying for the board’s leading
female members, Christine Qunta and Gloria Serobe.

The tension between the two factions reached a critical stage when SABC group CEO advocate Dali Mpofu suspended head of news Snuki Zikalala, and in turn the board slammed Mpofu with a similar punishment.

Snuki Zikalala

Controversy does not dodge this man. Since he became head of news, he has drawn criticism due to his open support for the ANC.

In 2006 he was named the Worst News Executive of the year by Honest Reporting. He again came to the public domain when he ordered the blacklisting of various independent commentators.

Dali Mpofu

He came to the helm of the public broadcaster on August 1 2005, replacing Peter Matlare. Mpofu initially looked set to turn the SABC into a real public broadcaster.

But incidents such as the decision not to broadcast an Asikhulume interview with Jacob Zuma made him unpopular.

Gabriel Mampone

Acting SABC chief executive following Mpofu’s suspension. A Wits University graduate, he has a BA (Hons) in international relations and two post-graduate qualifications from Wits Business School.

He is a member of the Institute of Marketing Management and holds an MBA from De Montfort University.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng

He was a Lesedi FM executive producer before he was fired by the SABC for allegedly giving salary increases and promotions to women close to him.

He went to the CCMA but it ruled against him. His dismissal angered ANC top brass. They ordered Mpofu to reinstate him, a move reportedly resisted by Zikalala.

Khanyisile Mkhonza

Khanyisile Mkhonza succeeded Eddie Funde as chairperson of the SABC board.

She admitted authoring a memo which was highly critical of Mpofu’s management style. She is on record as saying to the parliamentary committee which questioned her: “I wrote the memo. I own it. I wrote it out of concern.”

Ishmael Vadi

Ishmael Vadi is the chairperson of the National Assembly’s communications committee. His career began as a member of the Lenasia Youth League and the Transvaal Indian Congress.

He was later nominated chairperson of the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union in Lenasia.

Christine Qunta

Qunta is the deputy chairperson of the SABC board. She is a well-known anti-apartheid lawyer with good struggle credentials.

She served in the previous board under Eddie Funde. Qunta, along with Khanyisile Mkonza and Gloria Serobe, compiled the memo which was highly critical of Mpofu.

Timeline

By Baldwin Ndaba

The battle to control the SABC began after the then ANC president, Thabo Mbeki, expressed his desire to retain his presidency ahead of the Polokwane conference. His intention was met with fierce opposition from supporters of Jacob Zuma.

Zuma supporters accused of Mbeki of using the public broadcaster to promote his propaganda and they singled out SABC CEO Dali Mpofu as being the prime leader of the plot against Zuma.

SABC Timeline

Post-Polokwane conference:

December 2007

  • Mpofu denies media reports that he vowed to resign his post after the election of Zuma as the new president of the ANC.
  • Cosatu accuses Mpofu, SABC head of news Snuki Zikalala and political editor Sophie Mokoena as being central to the alleged favouritism towards Mbeki in the run-up to the Polokwane conference.
  • The names of the short-listed SABC board members are made public, causing a spat between the Zuma and Mbeki factions.

    January 2008

  • January 1: Mbeki appoints the new board, led by Khanyisile Mkonza and Christine Qunta, amid protests by Cosatu and pro-Zuma supporters in the ANC.

    February 2008

  • ANC MPs grill Mpofu over the public broadcaster’s perceived bias against Zuma.

    March 2008

  • Cosatu threatens to take Mbeki’s government to court over the “controversial” appointment of the new SABC board.

    April 2008

  • Mpofu concedes that the public broadcaster is under political pressure while addressing a conference on media and electoral democracy held in Pretoria by the Independent Electoral Commission.
  • ANC parliamentary caucus calls for the suspension of four board members: Qunta, Gloria Serobe, Andile Mbeki and Peter Vundla.
  • A confidential memorandum, which is highly critical of Mpofu, is leaked to the media.
  • ANC MPs, SABC board and management appear in parliament and point fingers at one another.
  • The National Assembly’s communications committee – mainly ANC members – passes a motion of no confidence in the board, accusing it of being responsible for the leakage of damning information against Mpofu.

    May 2008

  • Mpofu rejects “insinuations” in a Sunday paper report that there was a cabinet plot against him.
  • Two days later, Mpofu suspends Zikalala.
  • SABC board suspends Mpofu. – Baldwin Ndaba

      • Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20080508054017288C812364