DA asks SCA to deny petitions from ‘Hlaudi and his band of protectors’

Hlaudi Motsoeneng “and his band of protectors now need to abandon this abuse of our judicial system and taxpayers’ money”‚ the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Tuesday.

The party said it will pen an affidavit asking the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) to deny petitions for leave to appeal the Western Cape High Court’s setting aside of the appointment Motsoeneng as South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief operating officer.

Theses petitions were expected from Motsoeneng‚ the SABC board and Communications Minister Faith Muthambi following Judge Dennis Davis’ dismissal earlier this year of their application for leave to appeal his judgment that found Motsoeneng’s appointment from acting to permanent COO was unlawful and irrational.

“Mr Motsoeneng‚ Minister Muthambi and the SABC have been unsuccessful in almost all courts in which he has sought to keep his job‚” said the DA’s James Selfe.

“Indeed the Western Cape High Court already found that the three government respondents ignored the remedial action ordered by the public protector‚ which the SCA slated is ‘irrational and unlawful’‚” he added.

“To petition the SCA again on this matter is in itself irrational and a desperate attempt by the SABC and Minister Muthambi to protect a COO who has all but driven the public broadcaster into the ground.”

Selfe also raised Monday’s decision by the Independent Communciations Authority of SA’s (Icasa) Complaints and Compliance Committee to order the SABC to immediately withdraw the decision not to cover violent protests‚ which was attributed to Motsoeneng.

“This is the latest independent body that has slated Mr Motsoeneng in his crusade to turn the SABC into his own personal fiefdom with his latest attempts to chill free speech by censoring any and all protest footage under the guise of cultivating ‘national unity’‚” he said.

Motsoeneng has already indicated that the SABC will take the Icasa ruling on review.