SABC in turmoil: ANCYL slams 'opportunistic' Mokoetle

The MK Vets, unhappy about the suspension of one of their own, comrade Mokoetle, have hinted that they will lay charges against the board members with relevant authorities, according to chairperson Kebby Maphatsoe.

'Shady dealings'

Maphatsoe singled out non-executive board member Cedric Gina and acting CEO Rob Nicholson for being involved in 'shady dealings' at the expense of the public broadcaster.

Gina allegedly forced the SABC to hire a human rights consulting firm belonging to his personal friend Justice Ndaba, while Nicholson stands accused of approving a R200 000 payment to board member Peter Harris for the work Harris did as a board member.

This has angered the ANCYL, which has so far been quiet on the SABC saga, prompting Julius Malema's organisation to issue a statement last night calling on Mokoetle to decently present his side of the story to the board, and stop entering into public mud throwing.

"Opportunistically using"

ANCYL spokesperson Floyd Shivambu said: "The fact that the statement of the MKMVA is 100% similar to what the suspended GCEO has said to certain media houses confirms our suspicions that the suspended GCEO is opportunistically using the MKMVA to fight internal board issues.

"If there is any wrongdoing on the part of board members and the GCEO, decisive action should be taken, but mud throwing in the public discourse is not in the interest of the public broadcaster, nor in the interest of the suspended GCEO."

The MK Vets, who believe that the board suspended Mokoetle to cover up their corruption and 'own the organisation' ahead of local government elections, said they will march next week to Parliament to hand over a memorandum calling for the board's resignation.

"Welcome any investigation"

Severely disheartened by the MK Vets' accusations, the board issued a statement, saying they will meet in the next few days to formulate a comprehensive and collective response. "The directors would welcome any investigation, as they are confident that it would rapidly establish they have no case to answer."

Meanwhile, the SABC has lashed out at the Democratic Alliance (DA), calling the party's conduct 'despicable' and 'disgraceful'.

Spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said in a statement that the DA's accusation that SABC News offered to sell news coverage is devoid of truth, malicious and intended to mislead the public. "We reject this accusation with the contempt it deserves."

Alleged in a statement

The DA's Niekie van den Berg alleged in a statement that the party's Provincial Government in the Western Cape was recently approached by the public broadcaster for the opportunity to receive prime time TV coverage, as supposed hard news on its governance of the province, for the 'small' price of just R217 756. 85.

But Kganyago refutes these allegations, saying: "What happened is that the SABC made a proposal to the Western Cape Government to jointly host a special Outside Broadcast production focusing on the successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup, the economic spin-offs and plans to sustain the momentum of the epic event."