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(Courtesy of SABC)
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng's testimony has been wrapped up, for now. He is excused and Zondo thanks him.
Motsoeneng was earlier reminded that he may well be called back to the commission to testify again or be cross-examined.
Proceedings adjourn for tea.
12 Sep 2019
Advocate Norman says the legal team has been informed that "Marie Swanepoel", the SABC HR officer that Motsoeneng had mentioned at the start of his testimony, is in fact alive, despite previous rumours of her passing. The commission's investigators traced the information back to Home Affairs to verify.
Zondo says the rumours were rather unfortunate, and requests that Swanepoel be contacted to come and assist the commission.
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng: "We should not allow media to operate outside the mandate of the public broadcaster..."
Motsoeneng says he did not ban the visuals of violent protests, but he also did not want to encourage "unlawful stuff".
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng currently discussing employment and labour issues at the SABC, says when he became acting COO, he decided to eventually replace outsourced consultants at the public broadcaster with internal staff.
Motsoeneng says the unions at the SABC "would never defeat me". "The union would even try but I would address the workers and the unions would also complain because I would offer a sweetener," he says.
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng again expressed his concern at the way the media portrays him. Zondo says that at the end of the day, his findings will be based purely on the evidence put before him at the commission, and he will not be influenced by the media in any way.
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng repeats what he said yesterday, about National Treasury refusing to fund the venture between the public broadcaster and MultiChoice. Zondo also established with Motsoeneng that initial negotiations between the SABC board chair and group CEO, and MultiChoice, collapsed after funding became an issue. A figure of R50-million is repeatedly mentioned, but Motsoeneng says he's speaking from memory and is not sure on the exact figures.
12 Sep 2019
Motsoeneng talks about getting the SABC ready for the switch from analogue to digital transmission. Motsoeneng says his plan was to have two extra "pilot" channels ready, so that when the switch from analogue happened, there would be five channels, which would be his legacy. These were some of the factors in his negotiations with MultiChoice, says Motsoeneng. He had consulted with former SABC board chair Ben Ngubane during these negotiations.
12 Sep 2019
Today's proceedings commence, with Advocate Thandi Norman reminding Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that Hlaudi Motsoeneng's testimony yesterday was paused at the point where he was explaining the SABC/MultiChoice deal.
Motsoeneng is directed to pick up his testimony from this point.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
Motsoeneng claims he had nothing to do with SABC 8 dismissals
Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng told the state capture commission of inquiry that he did not play any part in the decision to suspend or dismiss the so-called SABC 8 in 2016 when they spoke out against what they called "censorship" under his leadership.
The SABC 8 was the name given to a group of eight journalists who spoke out against a ban against protest footage.
Motsoeneng denied that it was a ban.
Testifying for a second day before inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Motsoeneng claimed the dismissals happened after the journalists leaked information and communicated with other media houses.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
'The media's role is to discredit me', Hlaudi Motsoeneng tells Zondo commission
Despite the Wits Business School denying claims made by embattled former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng that he had lectured at the university, Motsoeneng remains adamant that he was invited on at least three occasions.
During his second day of testimony at the state capture inquiry on Wednesday morning, Motsoeneng told inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo that there was a SABC video clip which showed him lecturing at the university.
"I think the media's role is to discredit me. Yesterday [Tuesday], I spoke about lecturing at Wits - it is true, chairperson. It doesn't mean, when I say I lectured there, I was employed," he said.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
'It was my job to interfere', Motsoeneng tells Zondo Commission
Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has told the state capture inquiry that the decisions he made to ban the coverage of protests in 2016 was within the Broadcasting Act, adding that it was his job to interfere in certain decisions.
Testifying before inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Tuesday, Motsoeneng said he listened to the testimony of some of the people who gave SABC related testimony last week – and those who said that he was interfering in editorial decisions.
"I did hear when they were testifying, to say I was interfering... it was my job to interfere," he told Justice Zondo.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
Motsoeneng: 'We enjoyed curry at the Gupta residence'
Embattled former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has denied that he took former group CEO Lulama Mokhobo to meet the Gupta family at their residence in Saxonwold, Johannesburg without her knowledge.
Motsoeneng told the state capture inquiry that he informed Mokhobo about meeting the controversial family, a day before he drove her there.
"We enjoyed curry there," Motsoeneng told Inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo on Tuesday.
"These people [the Guptas] spoke to me and said we can meet your new GCEO. I went to her a day before. We discussed going there. She was very happy. I was very happy," he said.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
'I never lied about matric certificate,' Hlaudi Motsoeneng tells state capture inquiry
Former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has told the judicial commission of inquiry into state capture that he never lied to the public broadcaster about his qualifications.
Testifying before inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Motsoeneng said it was an "insult" for people to say he had lied about his matric certificate.
"I never lied, chairperson. God knows, I never lied. Those people who have employed me, they know," he said.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
Motsoeneng's protest coverage ban was the start of capture, SABC 8 journalist tells state capture inquiry
One of the so-called SABC 8, Krivani Pillay, has told the state capture commission that when former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng decided to ban the coverage of protest action in 2016, it was the start of alleged capture.
Testifying before inquiry chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, on Thursday, Pillay said Motsoeneng cancelled a show on SAFM after it criticised his decision.
She also told Zondo that the newsroom was "abused" and there were a lot of people who disagreed with him.
The SABC 8 was the name given to eight sacked journalists who spoke out against censorship of protest footage.
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
Zondo commission: SABC journalist told not to report on political events that led to Nenegate
The SABC's economic editor, who is also part of the so-called SABC 8, Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki has told the state capture inquiry she was requested not to report on the political events that resulted in the financial market impact following the dismissal of Nhlanhla Nene as finance minister in 2015.
Gqubule-Mbeki told commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo: "The issue around Nenegate affected me and my department. It is our responsibility to tell the South African public about the value of the money in their pockets…"
She said the public broadcaster's former head of TV news, Nothando Maseko, had requested that she should not mention former president Jacob Zuma's conduct, quoting her as saying "the rand has been trading badly for a while and it is not the president's behaviour that has done this".
12 Sep 2019
ICYMI:
Motsoeneng took ex-SABC group CEO to Gupta compound to be 'congratulated' on her appointment - Zondo commission hears
A week after Lulama Mokhobo was appointed SABC group CEO, embattled former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng took her to the Gupta residence in Saxonwold, Johannesburg, to be congratulated, the state capture inquiry heard on Wednesday.
Mokhobo was appointed as the first woman CEO of the SABC in 2012 but resigned from the position in February 2014.
She told inquiry chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo: "Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who was acting COO, came to my office and said, 'I have to take you somewhere very quickly'.
