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The DA is reliably informed that Hlaudi Motsoeneng has promised an extra R10 000 to staff at the SABC as a “sweetener deal”.

At a meeting yesterday, Motsoeneng announced to staff at the bargaining unit that “I have found a sweetener for you, Hlaudi has found an extra R10 000 for you”.

The payment of R10 000 will be to all staff excluding middle, senior and top management (scale code 300 and below) and is said to amount to R32 million, and would require board approval.

It is quite clear that this “sweetener deal” is nothing but an attempt for Motsoeneng to get SABC staff on his side as a last ditch attempt to save his hide.

Mostsoeneng should be nowhere near the SABC; never mind looting its coffers and further adding to the public broadcaster’s losses of close to half a billion last financial year.

The DA will be submitting parliamentary questions to ascertain which budget this money comes from, how it was approved and whether the board was involved in the process.

I will also write to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications requesting that all legal matters be expedited so that the parliamentary inquiry into the SABC can begin in earnest.

The DA looks forward to participating in the SABC Parliamentary Inquiry, which should see not only the SABC board dismissed, but also Motsoeneng and Acting CEO, James Aguma.

The DA is determined to fight for the independence of the SABC, fight against the waste of public money and build a public broadcaster we can all be proud of.

Issued by DA