Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been dismissed

Johannesburg – Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been dismissed from the public broadcaster, says interim board chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama.

This decision was announced on Monday by SABC interim board chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama and follows a disciplinary hearing brought against him for bringing the SABC into disrepute and causing irreparable damage.

It had earlier been reported that the former COO had been found guilty on all charges at the public broadcaster’s disciplinary hearing which concluded last week.

Motsoeneng’s legal representative Zola Majavu said he has not seen the judgment.

“Neither myself nor my client have been given a copy of the judgment which the media seem to have, so until we are formally notified by the chair [of the disciplinary committee] as he indicated when we adjourned last Friday or by the employer , I am unable to comment,” Majavu said on Monday.

“I don’t have instructions but I find it strange that if indeed such a judgment is out that it would be shared with the media since early morning and yet the person affected by it is not informed. I leave the issue at that and still respect processes.”

The beleaguered Motsoeneng faced charges relating to an unauthorised media briefing he held two months ago, at which he criticised the interim board and praised himself on the good work he said he did while at the public broadcaster.

Motsoeneng’s fight with the SABC was further dealt a blow two weeks ago when his attempt to stop the disciplinary proceedings was thrown out by the Labour Court.

Various courts had previously found Motsoeneng’s appointment as COO to be unlawful.

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A ruling by the Western Cape High Court in December last year, found that he was unfit to hold any office until such time a fresh disciplinary hearing cleared him of any wrongdoing, or if a court set aside the Public Protector’s report which implicated him in lying about his academic qualifications, purging staff, and giving himself generous salary increases.

The SABC rescinded its decision to take the Public Protector’s report on review, paving the way for a disciplinary process against Motsoeneng.

The damning report painted a bleak picture of maladministration and financial mismanagement at the public broadcaster, and how Motsoeneng misrepresented his qualifications and further increased his own salary exorbitantly.