The decision to remove the SABC’s acting COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng stands, a majority of the public broadcaster’s board members said on Thursday (14 March).<\/p>\n
“The board meeting [on February 25] was properly constituted and the decision to release Mr Motsoeneng from acting chief operating officer stands,” board member Lumko Mtimde said on behalf of the board’s majority.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month the board said in a statement it had resolved, in a meeting in Cape Town on February 25, to release Motsoeneng of his responsibility as acting COO with immediate effect. It said Mike Siluma, a veteran journalist and head of radio news and current affairs, had been appointed to the acting position.<\/p>\n
Shortly after this, SABC chairman Ben Ngubane was quoted in a newspaper report as saying Motsoeneng had been reinstated. He said his deputy Thami ka Plaatjie had made the decision.<\/p>\n
In the statement the majority of the board said: “The report… is regrettable as neither the chairman nor the deputy chairman nor both have the power or authority to unilaterally change a board resolution”.<\/p>\n
It said it would seek clarity from Ngubane and Ka Plaatjie on the newspaper report.
\nNgubane and Ka Plaatjie have resigned, after weeks of renewed tension at the public broadcaster.<\/p>\n
President Jacob Zuma received their joint letter of resignation on Monday. He was still considering whether to accept it.<\/p>\n
Since then, communications minister Dina Pule has asked Parliament to “urgently” review the board’s fitness.<\/p>\n
Pule’s office on Thursday said the minister was not responsible for decisions taken by the SABC board.<\/p>\n
“It is their decision [regarding employment] but they need to inform her properly, as is [stated] in the regulations which govern the relationship [between her and the SABC],” Pule’s spokesman Siyabulela Qoza said.<\/p>\n
“The board took a decision but did not inform her properly.”<\/p>\n
Qoza was referring to Motsoeneng’s removal.<\/p>\n
In an interview with SABC radio news earlier on Thursday, Pule said: “They [the board] will bring it to me and I’ll then play my role, because my role is to concur or not concur.<\/p>\n
“It’s not my call to be able to take a decision in relation to the activities of the SABC internally, because I have the board that represents me as a shareholder,” she said.<\/p>\n
SABC COO to retain post: Pule<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n