The Western Cape High Court is expected to hear the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) application on Wednesday, to have South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) group executive of corporate affairs, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, removed from his position.
The case has been scheduled to be heard on Wednesday and Thursday.
Chairperson of the DA’s Federal Executive James Selfe said the first application pertains to the DA’s request, lodged in March, to have the farcical outcome of the disciplinary inquiry into Motsoeneng, then as Chief Operating Officer (COO), set aside, as it was fatally flawed and only served to shield him from accountability.
“The outcome of the disciplinary cannot be accepted as it dismissed the charges of gross dishonesty, orchestrating purges and improperly dismissing employees without following proper process,” Selfe said in a statement on Tuesday.
“At the eleventh hour the SABC has abandoned their opposition to numerous aspects of the relief sought.”
Selfe said that the second part of the party’s application, which was lodged in October, is to have the appointment of Motsoeneng as Group Executive of Corporate Affairs, declared invalid.
“The DA is asking the court to confirm that Motsoeneng should not hold any position at the SABC until and only if the Public Protector Report is set aside, based on numerous adverse judicial findings against his qualifications as well as his conduct throughout his tenure at the SABC,” Selfe said.
“Mr Motsoeneng has been a one-man wrecking machine who has only succeeded in severely damaging the integrity, credibility and stability of the national broadcaster. It is high time that Motsoeneng’s toxic influence is removed from the SABC so that it can begin to repair the damage he has inflicted.”
The SABC appointed Motsoeneng as group executive of corporate affairs after the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the high court’s decision that his appointment as COO was “irrational” and set it aside.
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