A total eclipse of the Hlaudi



Hlaudi Motsoeneng's days at the SABC are numbered. The ANC wants him out before the municipal elections early next month. Party leaders close to the SABC "clean-up operation" have told The Times that heads will roll - and that no one involved in the upheavals at the public broadcaster will be spared.The SABC has faced a storm of criticism, and accusations of censorship, over Motsoeneng's instruction that footage of violent protests should not be broadcast.The ANC rubbished the entire senior SABC leadership, including its board, at a briefing yesterday. But the head of the party's communications subcommittee, Jackson Mthembu, stopped short of calling for Motsoeneng's head.Mthembu slammed SABC senior managers, accusing them of undermining the constitution and of changing policy without consultation. "It is the considered view of the ANC that the various crises engulfing the SABC are a consequence of a lack of leadership at the institution. Vacancies at the most senior and critical positions within the institution, as well as ongoing court challenges facing the COO [Motsoeneng], serve to weaken general managerial control and have led to a collapse of corporate governance within the organisation."Several senior SABC journalists, including acting group CEO Jimi Matthews, who announced his resignation on Monday last week, have opposed Motsoeneng's edicts.Some have been suspended or ordered to appear at an internal disciplinary hearing.The ANC has previously defended Motsoeneng, who has been strongly supported by Communications Minister Faith Muthambi. There were claims that Motsoeneng's appointment had the blessing of President Jacob Zuma.Speaking to The Times last night, a senior ANC member close to the communications committee said the SABC "circus is over and those clowns should pack and go"."This chaos is affecting our election campaign and we can't allow it to continue. How can our people trust the election results when the public broadcaster is censoring news. This goes to the heart of what we fought for and Mthembu has the support of the majority on this."Muthambi will be grilled on Monday about how she allowed a change of editorial policy out of line with ANC policies and the constitution.She will also be questioned about the long overdue turnaround strategy at the SABC. "We are still waiting for the turnaround strategy for the SABC from the current minister and among [the factors] is the issue of the expertise of senior management."We don't dismiss talent at all other levels but at the very top we are seriously lacking. You can't have any Tom, Dick or Harry running such a big organisation," said Mthembu.He said the ANC had not been consulted on Motsoeneng's decision last month not to broadcast images of violence and destruction of property during service-delivery protests. He said it amounted to a breach of the constitution and showed "scant regard" for the ANC as the governing party.His criticism of top management at the corporation was unusually severe. "Truth be told, we are not happy at the level of expertise at the highest level of the SABC.''No wonder you can have these kinds of decisions. The role of the board in the ongoing challenges leaves much to be desired and [the role of the board] should be strengthened to allow the public broadcaster to deliver on its mandate effectively."The SABC last night defended its stance on not screening violent protests, saying it was not a policy change, but an editorial decision.Motsoeneng continues to run the SABC even though public Protector Thuli Madonsela found that he had lied about his qualifications and his appointment was "irrational".The ANC appears to be divided over the state of affairs at the SABC. Party spokesman Zizi Kodwa recently publicly defended the broadcaster's censorship decision . Mthembu apologised for the confused messages emanating from the ANC.The Media Workers' Association of SA said it was not only journalists who were under attack at the SABC. "All workers and their rights are censored," said Tuwani Gumani, general secretary of the association.He said no union, except the Communication Workers Union, was allowed to speak to workers on SABC premises and Motsoeneng had threatened to fire employees in the TV licences department who were inquiring about embarking on a protected strike.- Additional reporting by Katharine Child