The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has said the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board acted illegally in removing acting chief operations officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
HumanIPO reported last week SABC had released Motsoeneng from his duties, and were forced to deny this week they had reinstated him.
“We believe that the small clique or faction that operates within the board has never stopped working to topple Mr Motsoeneng ever since he started his work as the acting COO,” CWU national spokesman Matankana Mothapo said in a statement.
“They have done so through concerted and well co-ordinated media leaks, rumour-mongering and spreading lies.”
The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party has also called for an investigation into SABC’s handling of the case, though it stressed it was pleased with Motoeneng’s removal because he was not qualified for the position.
Mothapo said CWU knew the SABC was divided on the matter, and that they would write to Communications Minister Dina Pule for an explanation.
“We also request the minister to reverse the SABC board decision before anarchy can prevail,” he said.
The CWU also came to Motsoeneng’s in January, claiming SABC was attacking him as an individual and expressing their firm support for him.
“Our support for the Acting GCOO is informed by his commitment to transformation and bringing stability at the SABC,” the statement said. “Mr Motsoeneng’s track record of rising from a low position of freelancer in the 90s to an Acting COO currently speaks volumes.”
The Star, meanwhile, has reported the chaos at SABC is due to a boardroom feud between chairman Ben Ngubane and his deputy Ka Plaatjie, claiming the latter and most other board members are in favour of Motsoeneng’s retention as COO.
“It’s the SABC versus the SABC. It’s an internal strife, but it’s not that the majority of the board members are divided,” a source told the newspaper.
