IOL News reports that former SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng has slammed a bid by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to recover more than R21.7 million from him for illegal appointments and dismissals at the public broadcaster.  

The SIU team appeared before Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications on Tuesday, where it briefed the committee on the interim presidential investigation into the cash-strapped SABC.  Motsoeneng, however, said in regard to the ‘success fees’ that he did not pay himself and saw nothing irregular with appointments.  He noted that the custodian of appointments and salary increments at SABC was the human resources department.  SIU head advocate Jan Lekhoa Mothibi stated:  “The SIU and SABC jointly issued summons on February 5, 2018, in the High Court in Johannesburg against Mr Motsoeneng for a civil case aimed at the recovery of R11,508,549.12 in terms of the success fee that was paid.  We also intend to recover R10,235,453.20 for the irregular appointments and salary increments, suspensions and unlawful terminations of employment.”  The SIU also confirmed the Public Protector’s findings that the appointments of SABC staff or salary increases were irregular.

• Read the full original report by Mary Jane Mphahlele at IOL News

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