Government Corruption

[GetDownAdam]

Sarcasm or not, it's sad that black people feel like they only have one option. The number of people who seem to think it's preposterous that they would vote for anyone BUT the ANC is shocking. I feel like the generations that were politically aware in the early nineties feel that the struggle was won in 1994. Sadly, no one has shown them that the new struggle is not about race. 2019 is optimistic but I don't see the ANC ever being as powerful as they once were.

Oh, and the way I read it, annman wasn't being emotional. Seems he was just telling it like it is.

[annman]

Nostra, you have a real knack of trying to read into and misconstrue everything I say. You always treat anything I say in a political debate with contempt and it's getting old. Why do people like GetDownAdam and almost all others' always understand my tone and you don't?

It's not emotional, it's just like this: "To not always succeed is human, as long as you try a different approach every time, but not always get the result you want. To not always succeed is the pursuit of fools, if you try the same approach every time and you expect a different result."

That's not emotional, that's the truth of all things in life, including politics. Vote the same at your own and South Africa's peril. The problem is not Zuma (he is not the cancer of kleptocracy that has infested the ruling party, he is simply a symptom of the cancer), the problem is the ENTIRE ruling party, the kleptocracy is systemic now, without fear of loss-of-power, the systemic cancer can't be healed by removing one tumor in one organ.

[briker]

Zuma's anti-corruption blitz gets thumbs up

2011-10-24

Cape Town - Political parties have welcomed President Jacob Zuma's decision to axe Cabinet members Gwen Mahlangu-Nkabinde and Sicelo Shiceka.

Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille also applauded Zuma's announcement that national police commissioner General Bheki Cele was suspended with immediate effect.

"This announcement is better late than never," she said in a statement.

Zuma announced earlier in Pretoria that Mahlangu-Nkabinde would be replaced as public works minister, and Shiceka as co-operative governance and traditional affairs minister.

Zille said Zuma's government had been beset by controversy for several months.

Public Protector Thuli Madonsela urged Zuma to take strong action against those involved in the SA Police Service lease deals, as well as Shiceka for his abuse of public money.

Zille lauded Zuma "for reaffirming his government's commitment to the role of the public protector and other Chapter Nine institutions".

The ANC said the Cabinet reshuffle would contribute significantly to strengthening government performance and capacity.

"In this regard, the ANC would [like] to praise and equally endorse the president’s action and decisiveness," spokesperson Jackson Mthembu said in a statement.

The ANC also welcomed Zuma's announcement that Supreme Court of Appeal Judge Willie Seriti would head the new commission of inquiry into the arms deal.

Strong message

African Christian Democratic Party leader Kenneth Meshoe said action against the two ministers was long overdue.

"What we still want to see happen is Mr Shiceka paying back the taxpayers’ money he wasted on his alleged visit to his imprisoned girlfriend in Switzerland," he said.

Freedom Front Plus spokesperson Pieter Groenewald also welcomed Zuma's announcements, as did the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (Casac).

"We believe that the president has acted appropriately in responding to the reports of the public protector regarding the misdemeanours by these two former ministers," Casac said in a statement.

Casac welcomed Cele's immediate suspension and the appointment of a board of inquiry to investigate his role in the SAPS leases.

The Congress of SA Trade Unions said it hoped the announcement marked a turning point in the fight against maladministration and corruption.

"From now on there must be a policy of zero-tolerance to the looting of public resources by anyone, in the public or private sector, no matter how senior their position," the trade union federation said in a statement.

Civil rights group AfriForum said Zuma's decision sent a strong and essential message regarding the accountability and responsibility of people in positions of power.


- SAPA

[annman]

I applaud Zuma's move. Although, it is tarnished somewhat by the delay and the perception that he bowed to pressure rather than being decisive himself. However, whatever the cause, at least we can be pleased that some action is being taken.

[ToxicBunny]

Problem is he's removed 2 ministers and that little boy Cele.... but in the shuffle he's possibly set things like the Communications ministry back by moving Roy to another ministry...

[Lydon]

I, too, am a bit worried about the Communications department. Nevertheless, a welcome move by Zuma!

[annman]

SH*T!!! I spoke too soon. According to SABC News reports this morning, Gwede Mantashe has said the axed ministers will be returning to parliament as MP's and have simply lost their jobs as actually ministers. If that's the case, then Zuma has done ziltch, nothing, nadda... just a PR exercise to appease us "stupid" South Africans. He may have just pulled an ANC on us again: Do not punish, redeploy!

What they did was illegal, they should not only be fired, but charged!

[Sylv1]

what's happening in Midvaal ? so much for the DA's squeaky clean image...

Midvaal probably most corrupt municipality in SA - FF+

http://www.politicsweb.co.za/politic...eb+detail&utm_

[annman]

I want to see the details of the report, but if there are corrupt officials in Midvaal, they MUST be fired. However, the VF+'s claim that Midvaal is the MOST corrupt municipality in the whole country is a huge hyperbole of note; sounds of desperate conservative syndrome trying to gain some quick political points after a "liberal" decision by the DA to elect Mazibuko.

I know Martie Wenger and her whole family personally, I find it extremely hard to believe she is part of this quagmire.

EDIT: According to eNEWS this morning, the public-protector report is only being released later today, so where is VF+ getting their premature information from? Anyways, no political party are angels. Have always said, politics invariably becomes dirty somewhere at some stage... voting is choosing the lesser of two evils.

[annman]

DA responds to Midvaal maladministration

November 8 2011 at 07:19pm

INLSA
The Democratic Alliance has welcomed Public Protector Thuli Madonsela's findings of maladministration in the Midvaal municipality.

“Following the Protector's report, the DA will be reviewing the rules that govern the actions of its public office-bearers,” DA MP and chairman of the party's federal executive James Selfe said on Tuesday.

Madonsela said earlier that maladministration was found in the DA-led municipality.

In her official report on the municipality, Madonsela noted that the appointment of Odendaal Summerton Inc. as sole providers of legal services for the past 30 years without following proper procurement procedures was in violation of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework.

She said the municipality's accounting officer had failed to comply with his accounting responsibilities, including debt collection obligation.

The municipality's handling of houses and properties donated by residents with arrears was also “irregular and did not comply with the law”, the Protector concluded.

She found 85 properties were released to the municipality by owners, but some properties were not transferred. They were, however, intercepted by the law firm owned by the DA Midvaal leader Andre Ondendaal.

Selfe said: “In each of these instances, the municipality had already begun a process of remedial action.”

He said Midvaal mayor Timothy Nast had released a comprehensive statement in this regard.

“Mr Nast has also committed himself to carrying out the recommendations of the Protector. The DA leadership takes a special interest in the performance of the governments under our control,” Selfe said.

“In the weeks ahead we will take steps to prohibit DA office-bearers from doing business with DA governments. This is in line with the Business Interests of Employees Act we have passed in the Western Cape.”

Nast said the municipality would report any deficiencies in internal controls.

It would also co-operate with the relevant law society and investigating body in this regard.

Nast acknowledged that Madonsela's findings were correct that procurement processes were not in place when the council was formed after the first democratic local government elections in 2000.

This was before the promulgation of the Municipal Finance Management Act in 2004.

The Protector acknowledged that by 2006 a formally competitive bidding process was initiated.

“Three firms competed for this tender. Out of the three, two did not tender for the full scope of the work and were therefore disqualified. The tender was duly awarded to Odendaal and Summerton Inc,” Nast said.

The Protector had asked for the accounting officer to submit a report to the Council within 60 days to, inter alia, investigate the conduct of the former accounting officer, chief financial officer and other officials involved.

Nast said work would begin on this report, and it would be made public in accordance with the Municipal Systems Act.

“The Protector raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest in respect of the service provider and has requested that we take appropriate steps to review this. We will do so,” he said.

However, Nast said it was unfortunate that there were some factual inaccuracies in the Public Protector's findings on this matter “despite the comprehensive submission sent to her office during the course of the investigation”.

He said the executors of the late CCC Hennop wrote to the Council to offer the stand as a donation in lieu of outstanding rates.

This offer did not meet the requirements of the donation policy of Council, resulting in the property being bought by Vaughn Summerton in an open market at a later stage.

The municipality had no involvement in this, Nast said.

“The internal auditors, CMS Incorporated, investigated this matter and confirmed that a separate register was kept and maintained for donated property.

“I have written to the Protector today to clarify the facts of this matter and to request that she adjusts her report accordingly,” said Nast.

“No government is perfect. Good governments acknowledge this and strive towards the highest standards of financial management and service delivery.”

Midvaal municipality had set the standard in Gauteng for good governance over the last ten years with eight unqualified audits from the Auditor-General under its belt, Nast said. - Sapa

[annman]

Taxpayers to pay R400m for ANC party
2011-11-10 07:48

Kaydene Jordaan, Volksblad
Bloemfontein - Taxpayers will have to pay more than R400m for the ANC's centenary celebrations in Bloemfontein.

This is on top of the R100m which the ANC had already budgeted for next year's big party.

This amount is however petty cash compared to the money that will be spent to ready infrastructure in the Free State to host the party.

- Taxpayers have already paid R150m for the Philip Sanders resort just outside the city. The resort will be the headquarters of the festivities;

- A further R35m has been budgeted to restore the Methodist church in Waaihoek, where the ANC was founded in 1912;

- R200m has been allocated to renovate the Seisa Ramabodu Stadium in Mangaung;

- The official house of Free State Premier Ace Magashule will get an upgrade costing R15m;

- Millions will also be spent to restore the historic Mapikela home, and the Winnie Mandela home in Brandfort.

Heritage

Cope's Casca Mokitlane said that as it is an ANC celebration, the organisation must use its own money to finance the party.

The ANC however feels that the centenary celebrations form part of every South African's heritage, which is why it sees no problem in spending large sums of money.

Roy Jankielsohn, leader of the DA in the Free State, said it would be highly irregular for a political party to tap into national, provincial and municipal budgets to pay for its celebrations.

"We are worried about how much money is being used for the restoration of the buildings and church, even if they could be declared national heritage sites."

Professor Andre Duvenhage, political commentator of the North West university, said such spending of taxpayers' money threatens democracy.

William Bulwane, spokesperson for Premier Magashule, did not respond.

[briker]

Feed the poor cake! freaking unbelievable...

[annman]

Yeah! I was disappointed in the Midvaal DA for approving an irregular tender for legal services and thought I should have a rant at them, till I saw the scale of what the ANC planned directly after the DA's mismanagement press-release. Talk about the ANC having a DA-bullet for a pistol, but then turning a cruise-missile on themselves.

They say the media's biased... well, there's case in point of not giving the media a chance to hammer someone else, cause if one party spills some milk, the ANC goes and empties the entire dairy!

[Sylv1]

http://ht.ly/7q1sq

Corruption in DA's Midvaal? Odendaal report 'tip of iceberg'

[Enigma_za]

Arms deal author points finger at Modise’s role
December 5 2011 at 05:00am

IOL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donwald Pressly


There was little evidence that former president Thabo Mbeki received any bribes in connection with South Africa’s arms deal worth as much as R70 billion, but there were clear suggestions that he protected former defence minister Joe Modise from public scrutiny, said former standing committee on public accounts member Andrew Feinstein.

Feinstein, a former ANC MP who has written The Shadow World about “the business of war”, told the Cape Town Press Club at the weekend that it was clear that Mbeki had allowed investigations to be carried out against his then deputy president, Jacob Zuma, “because he was a political adversary”, while Modise, who allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes, was protected because he was a political ally.

Feinstein said it did not take a political scientist to work out why the triple inquiry report – by the public protector, the auditor-general and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) – was changed before it was released. It carried a paragraph that expressed some concern about Modise’s role in the arms deal. It was changed to praise the minister’s involvement.

Feinstein, who now lives in London, said it was also intriguing that Willem Heath had been appointed to head the SIU in place of Willie Hofmeyr, who was clearly not as reliable a supporter of the president.

Heath had told Feinstein 10 years ago that there was plenty of evidence of corruption involving the ANC but had gone on to defend Zuma against the arms deal investigations.

Feinstein, who is a lapsed ANC member, said it was also instructive that Zuma was now leading the campaign for an investigation into rulings of the judiciary. The decision by President Zuma to appoint an inquiry into the arms deal was “not a Damascus moment”, he said, but followed ANC Youth League threats to release information about the president’s role in arms deal corruption.

Feinstein said the commission would only have integrity if Zuma was called to testify. It was on the record that his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for fraud and corruption for paying Zuma to further his business interests.

In the book, Feinstein refers to the 783 charges of racketeering, fraud and corruption Zuma faced for receiving payments related to the arms deal through Shaik. Zuma intervened to ensure the businessman won a lucrative subcontract through French company Thomson-CSF, now Thales.

In an encrypted fax, the company agreed to pay Zuma R500 000 a year to further the interests of the company and to protect it from any possible inquiry into its role in the arms deal, Feinstein reported.

Feinstein said it was of utter importance that the judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal should present its report to the public simultaneously to handing it to Zuma so that there was no opportunity to sanitise the report.

He praised Terry Crawford-Browne, the businessman who led the charge to bring the arms deal before another inquiry, for his enormous personal and financial sacrifice.

Referring to Modise, Feinstein said he had intervened to exclude cost as a procurement criterion “on the single largest contract” in democratic South Africa’s history. This referred to the Hawk and Gripen deal.

Noting that most of the Gripens had subsequently been mothballed by the SA Air Force (SAAF), Feinstein said the arms acquisition council had ranked the Hawk last. “Another (shortlist) excluded cost, which gave the Hawk enough points for it to be able to win with a considerable offsets bid.

“The non-costed option, which was the only shortlist considered, kept the Hawk in play when the SAAF had demanded the opposite.”

The SAAF wanted the Aermacchi for trainer aircraft and fighter jets from Daimler-Benz.

Modise had benefited from his intervention by buying up shares in Conlog, a company that benefited from arms deal offsets, Feinstein said.

[annman]

Two provinces near economic collapse
CHANDRÉ PRINCE and AMUKELANI CHAUKE | 05 December, 2011 23:5024

In an historic first, the ANC-led government has admitted that two provinces are on the brink of economic collapse and in dire need of financial bailout.

It emerged yesterday that widescale maladministration and possible criminal intent in Limpopo, Free State and Gauteng has forced the National Treasury to dip into reserves amounting to billions of rands in an effort to prevent a looming crisis.

The economic embarrassment has forced the cabinet to place eight departments in Limpopo and Free State under administration, effectively meaning that the National Treasury will play big brother to their finances.

In a shocking statement, cabinet spokesman Jimmy Manyi revealed how the three provinces - with Limpopo faring the worst - plunged into financial difficulties, forcing the government to urgently review provincial spending and devise elegant solutions to a situation analysts describe as "embarrassing to the country".

A cash-strapped Limpopo alone has asked Treasury for a R1-billion bailout on top of a R757.3-million overdraft to pay for November salaries.

Gauteng needs R627-million to pay for salary increases and faces "chronic problems" with large accrual and other financial disasters. It is not clear how much Free State has requested from the Treasury.

Manyi said the cabinet had been "concerned" about the state of financial management and governance in the three provinces for some time and that the drastic move was necessitated by trends of unsatisfactory spending, overspending and challenges with supply chain management.

"The Minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan was asked by cabinet to urgently review the situation in Limpopo and other provinces and report back to cabinet on proposed actions to be taken to improve the financial situation and its impact on service delivery and provincial functions," said Manyi.

The intervention, as decided by the cabinet yesterday, will entail:

Key departments in Limpopo and Free State being placed under administration;
The cabinet assuming responsibility for Limpopo's treasury, education, transport and roads, health and public works departments;
The cabinet issuing directives for Free State's treasury and police and roads and transport departments;
Gauteng signing agreements with ministers of health and finance to address financial challenges in the provincial health department;
Gauteng being assisted with financial management and supply chain management issues;
Forensic investigations with strict deadlines to be carried out; and
A monitoring committee under Gordhan's leadership, assisted by six other national ministers.
And though the ANC might have egg on its face over its failure to adequately deal with its finances in the three provinces it holds majority power over, the cabinet said heads would roll if the investigations uncover any illegal conduct.

MECs, heads of departments, chief financial officers and other appropriate officials will also be replaced by the national acting deployees on a case-by-case basis.

According to Manyi, a cash- strapped Limpopo had used up its R757.3-million overdraft facility with the Corporation for Public Deposits and had asked that its facility be increased by R1-billion to pay salaries and wages on November 23.

"This request was declined but alternative arrangements were made for an early transfer of their equitable share," said Manyi.

Efficient Group chief economist Dawie Roodt said yesterday: "I don't think government realises the kind of damage something like this does to the economy. At the moment, as things stand, we are barely managing ... we are not in trouble as yet, but we are not comfortable," said Roodt.

He attributes the provinces' financial woes to incompetence and the ANC's cadre deployment tendencies.

[annman]

Youth league rails against Cabinet's Limpopo takeover
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Dec 06 2011 12:58

The timing of Cabinet's intervention in the running of Limpopo was suspicious, the provincial ANC Youth League said on Tuesday.

"The youth league in Limpopo believes that the timing of this recent campaign is aimed at reducing the confidence of ANC members in the current leadership," it said in a statement.

Provincial party elections were due to take place later this month.

Cabinet decided on Monday to take over the running of five Limpopo departments, and to intervene in Gauteng and the Free State.

"Against the backdrop of persistently ignored positive reports of successful, clean audits by the auditor-general, we believe this action, led by the national treasury, is a disingenuous attempt -- which is informed by political manoeuvring -- to alienate ANC members of Limpopo from its leaders," the provincial youth league said.

The ANC's provincial conference would take place between December 17 to 20.

"We find it curious that this announcement follows on the heels of the closure of the leadership nominations linked to mandatory pre-conference procedure," the league said.

Business Day suggested on Wednesday that national government's move to take control of five provincial departments in Limpopo was partly to fix crippling service delivery problems but also a political move.

It would allegedly strengthen President Jacob Zuma's hand in the political infighting with Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale, who supports ANC Youth League president Julius Malema.

The youth league in Limpopo said the intervention was politically motivated.

"Consequentially, the ANC Youth League in Limpopo believes this action is intended to politically blackball the leadership of Cassel Mathale, especially in the face of recent overwhelming branch level nomination of Cassel Mathale to re-emerge as Limpopo chairperson of the ANC.

"The youth league in the province will not be moved from its support for the leadership of Cassel Mathale and the rest of the leadership line-up, as previously stated."

The provincial league said the Limpopo government was financially secure and able to pay its suppliers and employees.

"The lies being peddled by anonymous forces that salaries and payments to service providers will not be honoured by our government are malicious and completely untrue."

Earlier on Tuesday, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan told SABC radio news that Cabinet had been monitoring the finances of these provinces for some time.

"There's been a ... trend of underspending, overspending, violating supply chain provisions and this is what we want to thoroughly investigate now."

He said it was important that a team of officials were put in place immediately to ensure proper systems and controls were implemented, while a forensic investigation took place.

Gordhan refused to comment on speculation that the move was politically motivated. -- Sapa

[SA BOY]

Originally Posted by Enigma_za

Arms deal author points finger at Modise’s role
December 5 2011 at 05:00am

IOL

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Donwald Pressly


There was little evidence that former president Thabo Mbeki received any bribes in connection with South Africa’s arms deal worth as much as R70 billion, but there were clear suggestions that he protected former defence minister Joe Modise from public scrutiny, said former standing committee on public accounts member Andrew Feinstein.

Feinstein, a former ANC MP who has written The Shadow World about “the business of war”, told the Cape Town Press Club at the weekend that it was clear that Mbeki had allowed investigations to be carried out against his then deputy president, Jacob Zuma, “because he was a political adversary”, while Modise, who allegedly received millions of dollars in bribes, was protected because he was a political ally.

Feinstein said it did not take a political scientist to work out why the triple inquiry report – by the public protector, the auditor-general and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) – was changed before it was released. It carried a paragraph that expressed some concern about Modise’s role in the arms deal. It was changed to praise the minister’s involvement.

Feinstein, who now lives in London, said it was also intriguing that Willem Heath had been appointed to head the SIU in place of Willie Hofmeyr, who was clearly not as reliable a supporter of the president.

Heath had told Feinstein 10 years ago that there was plenty of evidence of corruption involving the ANC but had gone on to defend Zuma against the arms deal investigations.

Feinstein, who is a lapsed ANC member, said it was also instructive that Zuma was now leading the campaign for an investigation into rulings of the judiciary. The decision by President Zuma to appoint an inquiry into the arms deal was “not a Damascus moment”, he said, but followed ANC Youth League threats to release information about the president’s role in arms deal corruption.

Feinstein said the commission would only have integrity if Zuma was called to testify. It was on the record that his financial adviser, Schabir Shaik, was sentenced to 15 years in jail for fraud and corruption for paying Zuma to further his business interests.

In the book, Feinstein refers to the 783 charges of racketeering, fraud and corruption Zuma faced for receiving payments related to the arms deal through Shaik. Zuma intervened to ensure the businessman won a lucrative subcontract through French company Thomson-CSF, now Thales.

In an encrypted fax, the company agreed to pay Zuma R500 000 a year to further the interests of the company and to protect it from any possible inquiry into its role in the arms deal, Feinstein reported.

Feinstein said it was of utter importance that the judicial commission of inquiry into the arms deal should present its report to the public simultaneously to handing it to Zuma so that there was no opportunity to sanitise the report.

He praised Terry Crawford-Browne, the businessman who led the charge to bring the arms deal before another inquiry, for his enormous personal and financial sacrifice.

Referring to Modise, Feinstein said he had intervened to exclude cost as a procurement criterion “on the single largest contract” in democratic South Africa’s history. This referred to the Hawk and Gripen deal.

Noting that most of the Gripens had subsequently been mothballed by the SA Air Force (SAAF), Feinstein said the arms acquisition council had ranked the Hawk last. “Another (shortlist) excluded cost, which gave the Hawk enough points for it to be able to win with a considerable offsets bid.

“The non-costed option, which was the only shortlist considered, kept the Hawk in play when the SAAF had demanded the opposite.”

The SAAF wanted the Aermacchi for trainer aircraft and fighter jets from Daimler-Benz.

Modise had benefited from his intervention by buying up shares in Conlog, a company that benefited from arms deal offsets, Feinstein said.

Just finished reading this a good book but not deep enough on the real benifitaries in the sa arms deal. modisa however was the biggest thief

[annman]

www.iol.co.za

The sickening rot of government agencies and parastatals continues.

Zuma pal scoops top job with no matric

January 29 2012 at 12:35pm
By Moffet Mofokeng

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS
Hlaudi Motsoeneng has walked into key positions tailor-made to suit him. He has no matric and has no managerial experience at that level. Picture: Simphiwe Mbokazi
A supporter of President Jacob Zuma, with neither a matric certificate nor top management experience is tipped to land the R2 million job as chief operating officer of the financially-crippled SABC.

This after the SABC decided to advertise the strategic, second-most powerful post, only internally, for only three working days. According to newly-appointed group chief executive officer Lulama Mokhobo, matric was not a requirement for successful candidates.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, essentially an ANC deployee at SABC, has had the requirements for the job, one of the key positions in the corporation’s turn-around strategy, tailor-made to suit him because he has no matric and has no managerial experience at that level.

He is the same man fingered by a KPMG probe as having lied about having a matric certificate when he applied for the post of news executive for the broadcaster’s Bloemfontein office several years ago. Should Motsoeneng land the job, he would possibly become the only COO of such a major public institution without matric.

The move has angered workers in the financially struggling organisation. They are asking how a person without an undergraduate qualification could be the second-in-command of an organisation with a R4.7 billion turnover.

At e.tv, for example, Bronwyn Keen-Young is the chief operating officer. She has a Masters degree from Wits University and a Bachelor of Law Degree (LLB) from the University of South Africa (Unisa). Before her appointment at e.tv, she co-founded the Media Monitoring Project in 1993. Another COO, Graham Wayne Dempster, of Nedbank, one of the country’s top banks, is a qualified chartered accountant and has experience in retail banking.

The Sunday Tribune learnt that Mokhobo advertised the job on Friday, but apparently deleted parts where academic qualifications were required, ostensibly to ensure Motsoeneng, who does not have a matric but has strong political backing, qualified for the position.

Staff at the SABC are now questioning the deletion of the academic qualifications from the advert and the three working days allocated to prospective candidates. Applicants have until Tuesday to apply.

They say the position needs a suitably qualified person and Motsoeneng, said to have Zuma’s ear, was not the right candidate.

The advert states that the person who would be appointed to the job should be a “commercially astute executive, with broad ranging experience of success in broadcasting”, have “well developed negotiation and relationship building skills at the most senior level” and the “ability to translate and promote the integration of new business objectives into financial, human capital and organisational development changes on an ongoing basis”. “A demonstrable passion for public service” is the last requirement for the job.

Approached for comment, Motsoeneng said “I don’t want to comment on this issue” and added “speak to the CEO. She is here with me” before handing over his cellphone to Mokhobo.

The CEO said the job did not require a degree and was open only to SABC employees. “We are looking for a candidate who understands the business of the SABC. We don’t have the time to be in a state of inertia. It does not require a degree to run a business operation. That does not require an MBA. Anybody internally can apply for this job. We are very clear that we are not opening it to everybody,” she said.

She said the position did not require technical skill but an understanding of how business operations are run. “You need the ability to oversee complex situations.”

Responding to claims that the advert is tailor-made to suit Motsoeneng, Mokhobo said: “If we (had already) decided on Hlaudi, we would have not advertised the position. We would have given it to him.”

For over four years now, the SABC has not had a permanent COO and a chief technology officer. In stark contrast to Motsoeneng, Solly Mokoetle, the last person to occupy the position permanently in 2006, had a masters degree in journalism from Canada's Carleton University and 25 years experience in broadcasting. Twelve of those years were spent in executive management at the SABC. He also obtained advanced management and finance qualifications.

His successor, Charlotte Mampane, who occupied the COO's post temporarily, had a masters degree in management from Wits University, an honours degree from Unisa and management certificates from Wits Business School.

Mokhobo is the sixth SABC CEO – including those who were appointed in an acting capacity – to be in charge of the broadcaster since 2009. Before her, there was Dali Mpofu, who quit after accepting a R14 million settlement, Gab Mampone, who left under a cloud, and Solly Mokoetle, who was also paid millions of rand before his departure.

Former chief financial officer Robin Nicholson, who also acted in the CEO’s post, has taken the SABC to court for unceremoniously terminating his contract. Phil Molefe, who was the last executive to act as CEO, has returned to his job as group executive responsible for TV and radio news.

A senior staff member not authorised to speak to the media, said: “Where have you seen such a senior position advertised for three working days? This is bad. Where have you seen a big corporation like the SABC with a COO without qualifications?”

Hannes du Buisson, the president of the Broadcasting, Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union, confirmed that his union had received “concerns and complaints” about how the advertisement was worded.

“I have received quite a lot of complaints from staff about why there is no qualifications requirement in the advertisement. I can’t say it was drafted for him but there is suspicion,” Du Buisson said.

Communication Workers’ Union spokesman Matankana Mothapo said they would support Motsoeneng’s appointment.

“Let’s not talk about his qualifications. Let’s talk about skills. He understands the SABC. In the shortest time he has been at the SABC, he has done well. We are happy with him,” Mothapo said.

In May 2008, the SABC was plunged into turmoil when its board suspended Mpofu, who had a day earlier suspended ex-news chief Snuki Zikalala for allegedly leaking a confidential document to ANC treasurer Mathews Phosa.

The document in question related to a labour case involving Motsoeneng, who was at the time a current affairs executive producer for Lesedi FM. Motsoeneng was fired in 2007 and Mpofu had pushed Zikalala to reinstate him, but Zikalala refused.

Motsoeneng, according to an internal audit document, misled the SABC about his qualifications when he landed a job as a junior reporter in 1996. The SABC had tried, at least on more than two occasions, to obtain Motsoeneng’s matric certificate but failed.

Sources say the Zuma camp, which had triumphed in Polokwane in 2007, needed to take control of the SABC in a bid to clean his image. In the run-up to the Polokwane conference, those in the Zuma camp complained that Mpofu, who was said to be in Thabo Mbeki’s camp, favoured the former president with positive coverage and Motsoeneng was his antithesis. - Sunday Tribune

[annman]

At least the excuse is no longer Aparthied for financial mismanagement and blatant corruption, now it's Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal!!!



Mathale blames Eurozone debt crisis for Limpopo woes
POLOKWANE, SOUTH AFRICA - Jan 29 2012 15:02

Limpopo premier Cassel Mathale has claimed that the Eurozone debt crisis has hampered financial growth in the province and appealed to provincial government members not to be "defocused" by the fact that five departments had been placed under national administration.

"This must not defocus from the commitment we have made to the people on the mandate they have given us to deliver to their needs," he told ANC members at the party's provincial lekgotla in Polokwane.

He said the province had an obligation to turn the current state of affairs around, "no matter how much we may not like this reality or view it as unwarranted".

Mathale called on party members to work hard to ensure the Limpopo government got back control of the five departments, and do so quickly.

It was the "responsibility of the caucus to transform constituency offices into one-stop centres that offer assistance to our people".

Officials who neglected their constituency work and obligations were "betraying the movement and our people."

Mathale called for the "overdue" reconfiguration of parastatals so they could play a more active role within job creation and economic diversification. However, jobs could not be created without input from the private sector.

Mathale told the meeting that the Eurozone debt crisis had hampered the province's job creation plan, with growth sustained, but at a slower rate.

"How the recession in South Africa further develops will depend on the economic performance of its key trading partners such as the United States, the European Union and China."

The two-day long lekgotla ends on Monday.
The province's finance, education, health and social development, public works, and education departments were placed under the national government's control last year. The remaining departments were operating under guidelines provided by national government.

The province could not pay its civil servants and was broke. This was because of its unauthorised expenditure, which grew from R1.5 billion in 2009 to R2.7 billion in 2011, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said earlier this month. A forensic investigation into the shortfall was currently underway. -- Sapa