Legal action will be taken to ensure the pension payouts of former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) top executives Hlaudi Motsoeneng and James Aguma are withheld, Members of Parliament heard on Tuesday.

Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications, board chairperson Khanyisile Kweyama said they were hoping to recoup the high cost of policy changes such as the 90/10 policy, which preferred local content over international content on both radio and television, from the two disgraced former executives.

“Proceedings have commenced to exercise a lien over pension payments due to Messrs Aguma and Motsoeneng and arrangements are underway to institute urgent legal action if necessary,” she said.

“We did not want to be faced with finding out three or six months down the line there is liability.”

The unaudited cost of the local content policy was put at R183-million for television and R29-million in radio.

“Those are losses in advertising revenue,” said Kweyama.

Motsoeneng was dismissed in June after a disciplinary hearing found him guilty of misconduct.

In July Aguma resigned before a disciplinary hearing against him could commence.