CAPE TOWN — Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has indicated that she intends to oppose a high court bid by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to have South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s appointment reviewed and set aside.
This emerged on Thursday at a post-Cabinet media briefing led by Ms Muthambi in her capacity as head of the Government Communication and Information System.
DA MP James Selfe confirmed Ms Muthambi had indicated to the party’s lawyers that she would oppose the court application with five other respondents out of the eight listed in the DA’s application.
"Only the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Office of the Public Protector have not yet responded," Mr Selfe said.
Among the respondents listed were Mr Motsoeneng himself, the SABC board and its chair woman Zandile Tshabalala, Parliament’s communications portfolio committee, and President Jacob Zuma.
The DA lodged its application on Tuesday last week. Respondents usually have 10 working days to file answering arguments. The court also has to be notified of an intention to oppose an application.
Ms Muthambi, who recently confirmed Mr Motsoeneng’s appointment, would not reveal her reasons for opposing DA’s application.
She again said a law firm had cleared Mr Motsoeneng of any wrongdoing. Mchunu Attorneys have distanced themselves from having offered any legal opinion about Mr Motsoeneng’s situation.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found against Mr Motsoeneng in a report released in February.
She found that he had lied to the SABC about his matric qualifications, irregularly increased his salary three times in one year from R1.5m to R2.4m, and had purged senior staff. The SABC was given 90 days to find a new chief operating officer.
Ms Muthambi and the SABC board have indicated they will meet an August 17 deadline to explain how it would implement the p ublic p rotector’s findings. She said Mchunu Attorneys had not distanced themselves from that legal opinion.
"I have got my own legal adviser… The legal firm said they have got nothing to do with the advice to me to confirm the appointment … but the fact that there is a legal opinion that the SABC was given by the legal firm that cleared Mr Motsoeneng is there," she said.
Department of Communication Minister, Faith Muthambi addressing post cabinet media briefing at Imbizo Centre in Cape Town on Thursday. Picture: GCIS/NTSWE MOKOENA
CAPE TOWN — Communications Minister Faith Muthambi has indicated that she intends to oppose a high court bid by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to have South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s appointment reviewed and set aside.
This emerged on Thursday at a post-Cabinet media briefing led by Ms Muthambi in her capacity as head of the Government Communication and Information System.
DA MP James Selfe confirmed Ms Muthambi had indicated to the party’s lawyers that she would oppose the court application with five other respondents out of the eight listed in the DA’s application.
"Only the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Office of the Public Protector have not yet responded," Mr Selfe said.
Among the respondents listed were Mr Motsoeneng himself, the SABC board and its chair woman Zandile Tshabalala, Parliament’s communications portfolio committee, and President Jacob Zuma.
The DA lodged its application on Tuesday last week. Respondents usually have 10 working days to file answering arguments. The court also has to be notified of an intention to oppose an application.
Ms Muthambi, who recently confirmed Mr Motsoeneng’s appointment, would not reveal her reasons for opposing DA’s application.
She again said a law firm had cleared Mr Motsoeneng of any wrongdoing. Mchunu Attorneys have distanced themselves from having offered any legal opinion about Mr Motsoeneng’s situation.
Public Protector Thuli Madonsela found against Mr Motsoeneng in a report released in February.
She found that he had lied to the SABC about his matric qualifications, irregularly increased his salary three times in one year from R1.5m to R2.4m, and had purged senior staff. The SABC was given 90 days to find a new chief operating officer.
Ms Muthambi and the SABC board have indicated they will meet an August 17 deadline to explain how it would implement the p ublic p rotector’s findings. She said Mchunu Attorneys had not distanced themselves from that legal opinion.
"I have got my own legal adviser… The legal firm said they have got nothing to do with the advice to me to confirm the appointment … but the fact that there is a legal opinion that the SABC was given by the legal firm that cleared Mr Motsoeneng is there," she said.
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