The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board has moved to suspend CEO Solly Mokoetle, it emerged on Tuesday after the Western Cape High Court overruled attempts by Parliament to hold a briefing on the latest trouble at the public broadcaster behind closed doors. "They [the board] have served him with a legal letter with the intention to suspend him and he has been given an 'x' number of days -- exactly how many days I don't know -- to respond to the letter to explain why he should not be suspended," said Ismail Vadi, the chairperson of Parliament's portfolio committee on communications.
Vadi was speaking to reporters after the media won an interdict preventing the committee from continuing with an in-camera meeting with the SABC on renewed strife at the broadcaster, a mere eight months after Mokoetle and the new board took up their positions.
The ruling was handed down as an interim order shortly before noon by Acting Judge Sven Olivier, following an urgent application by the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef). It came after the committee allowed SABC chairperson Ben Ngubane -- who has fallen out with commissioners -- to deliver a submission defending his position. "He expressed very serious concerns about the disfunctionality of the board and he cited a whole number of examples which he had experienced which contributed towards the state of disfunctionality."
Following the court order, Vadi decided to suspend the meeting with the SABC indefinitely, rather than proceed and allow the press to attend. He said he needed to discuss the way forward with Parliament. "I think we still need to confer with the speaker's office and the leadership of Parliament about the implications of the judgement because this has a bearing on the functioning of Parliament as a whole and on other committees."
Vadi said the meeting remained urgent because members of the legislature were perturbed by the problems besetting the SABC. These were brought to a head by Mokoetle's decision to name Phil Molefe as head of news without the agreement of the board. Ngubane's backing for the appointment further soured relations between him and commissioners. "It is a matter of very serious concern to the committee, that is why we summoned the board to appear before the committee," Vadi said. He decided last week to close most of the meeting to the press, for fear of the legal implications of having somebody's reputation and position challenged in public.
Sanef had on Monday through its lawyers asked the committee to open the meeting, but the committee decided on Tuesday morning that the session would stay closed to the public and media. Sanef lawyers were in the Western Cape High Court as the meeting got under way. When the committee failed to give an undertaking to suspend the meeting while the application was being heard, they asked Acting Judge Olivier for the order. In his ruling handed down just before noon, Olivier ordered that the committee not proceed with any sitting from which the public, including the media, were excluded. This order would be valid until "the final determination of this matter".
The ruling came amid an increasingly tense stand-off between the media and government over a perceived attack on media freedom, weighted around the Protection of Information Bill and the ANC's proposal for a media tribunal that reports to Parliament. In an affidavit filed in support of Sanef's court application, the forum's secretary general, Gaye Davis, said there was a clear public interest in the meeting. "The SABC is resourced with public funds, and the public has a clear interest in its functioning and a right to information concerning the affairs of the SABC," she said. "As a corollary, the media has a right and indeed an obligation to report on the functioning and affairs of the SABC."
Idasa sent a letter to Vadi on Tuesday criticising the committee's bid to hold the meeting in camera before the court ruling was made. "The problems within the SABC have persisted and holding a closed meeting simply creates the perception that facts are being withheld from the public."
Idasa said Parliament was obliged by section 59 of the Constitution to "conduct its business in an open manner, and hold its sittings and those of its committees in public". Attempting to hold the SABC briefing behind closed doors could set a dangerous precedent, it warned. "Idasa is concerned that closing the meeting will set an unhealthy precedent which other committees may in future also follow, thereby leading to a culture of exclusion and secrecy within Parliamentary committees."
Source: Mail & Guardian
Showing posts with label Solly Mokoetle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Solly Mokoetle. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
SABC's Mokoetle faces suspension
The SABC board wants group chief executive Solly Mokoetle to explain why he should not be suspended pending a disciplinary hearing - and will be in Parliament next week to tell MPs why its board chairman, Ben Ngubane, should go.
The corporate governance crisis at the public broadcaster came to a head yesterday when Mokoetle is understood to have walked out of a tense meeting of the board, where the decision was taken. Ngubane was not present. Last night efforts to lobby in Mokoetle's support were under way. "I am not aware of any threat to my job. I am still continuing with my work," he said.
SABC insiders said Mokoetle had already been served with a letter from the board, but it is understood that this has yet to happen. An SABC source said the board wanted to institute disciplinary charges against Mokoetle before it meets the National Assembly's committee on communications on Tuesday. Labour law states that Mokoetle has to be given a chance to make representations as to why he should not be suspended. The board will then have to consider his response and only then can it take a decision whether or not to suspend him.
Tensions between board members, its chairman and management have been mounting since Ngubane and Mokoetle's decision to make Phil Molefe permanent head of news earlier this year. This was seen as "the last straw", rather than the main issue. A board member last night said that while the interim SABC board had dealt with the SABC's immediate financial crisis, this had merely been a symptom of a deeper malaise - a lack of proper governance and capacity. These matters had not been addressed. Efforts by the new board to deal with them had to a degree been confounded by Ngubane - whose role will also come under the microscope when the board meets the MPs on Tuesday.
A board member last month complained that the situation will soon reach a point where either the CEO or the board would have to go.
Source: IoL
The corporate governance crisis at the public broadcaster came to a head yesterday when Mokoetle is understood to have walked out of a tense meeting of the board, where the decision was taken. Ngubane was not present. Last night efforts to lobby in Mokoetle's support were under way. "I am not aware of any threat to my job. I am still continuing with my work," he said.
SABC insiders said Mokoetle had already been served with a letter from the board, but it is understood that this has yet to happen. An SABC source said the board wanted to institute disciplinary charges against Mokoetle before it meets the National Assembly's committee on communications on Tuesday. Labour law states that Mokoetle has to be given a chance to make representations as to why he should not be suspended. The board will then have to consider his response and only then can it take a decision whether or not to suspend him.
Tensions between board members, its chairman and management have been mounting since Ngubane and Mokoetle's decision to make Phil Molefe permanent head of news earlier this year. This was seen as "the last straw", rather than the main issue. A board member last night said that while the interim SABC board had dealt with the SABC's immediate financial crisis, this had merely been a symptom of a deeper malaise - a lack of proper governance and capacity. These matters had not been addressed. Efforts by the new board to deal with them had to a degree been confounded by Ngubane - whose role will also come under the microscope when the board meets the MPs on Tuesday.
A board member last month complained that the situation will soon reach a point where either the CEO or the board would have to go.
Source: IoL
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Masekela quits amid new turmoil at SABC
BARBARA Masekela, former ambassador to France and a prominent figure in the African National Congress, has tendered her resignation from the board of the SABC, with several more resignations possible, Business Day has learnt. The board has been plagued by division since its appointment in December. Two reliable sources told Business Day last night that both Ms Masekela and her fellow director, Magatho Mello, had written letters of resignation this month after losing patience with the conduct of chairman Dr Ben Ngubane and CEO Solly Mokoetle.
A board meeting yesterday, aimed at addressing these issues and instituting disciplinary proceedings against Mr Mokoetle, was cancelled by deputy chairwoman Felleng Sekha, the sources said. A board member, who did not wish to be named, said: “I and several of my colleagues will resign in the near future if we continue to be unable to exercise our fiduciary responsibilities.”
In June, other directors strongly criticised Dr Ngubane in a memorandum to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda. The memorandum, which Business Day has seen, accuses Dr Ngubane of misconduct relating to the appointment of Phil Molefe as head of news, and reveals that a special meeting of the board in May decided that its “relationship with, and trust in, the chairperson have irrevocably broken down”. It says that Dr Ngubane cancelled interviews for the head of news position on the day they were due to take place, before seeing to it that the interviews took place on a day when three members of the interview panel where unavailable. “The chairperson has stated to other directors ... that he was operating under the direct instructions of the president of the republic and that he was resolved to appoint his preferred candidate, whom he identified by name,” the memorandum says. It says Dr Ngubane and Mr Mokoetle held a secret meeting on May 20 and it was decided to appoint Mr Molefe as head of news. Two days later, the board cancelled the appointment. Since then Dr Ngubane had refused to meet other directors, and had failed to attend a scheduled meeting. Between them, Dr Ngubane and Mr Mokoetle had “seriously delay(ed) the development and implement (sic) of a turnaround strategy” as required by an agreement with the Treasury, and had “entirely undermin(ed) the ability of directors ... to exercise proper oversight or to provide strategic direction to the SABC”. Dr Ngubane last night confirmed that he was aware of one recent letter of resignation by a director, but would not confirm the person’s identity. “I passed on to the shareholder one letter, and the shareholder has not yet responded.” He denied that Mr Mello was the author of the letter, but would not answer when asked if it was Ms Masekela. He was not aware of the memorandum to Gen Nyanda, and denied that he had said he was following the president’s instructions in appointing Mr Molefe. “That’s an absolute lie; that’s pure mischief. I’ve never, never made such a statement. I just said I acted in terms of what was right.”
There were still corporate governance issues to address at the SABC, he said, but insisted dissenting directors should table their concerns at board meetings. Ishmael Vadi, chairman of the parliamentary communications portfolio committee, said it was “losing patience with the delay in resolving the tensions in the board”. If the issues were not tackled shortly, the committee would summon the board to explain the situation, he said. “I need to table it before the committee, but I can say it will be very, very soon. This kind of situation is unacceptable. It doesn’t augur well for the corporate governance of a very important institution.”
Tiyani Rikhotso, a spokesman for Gen Nyanda, said he was not aware of the memorandum sent to the minister in June. When asked whether he had resigned, Mr Mello said: “I don’t even want to go there. We have a standing principle in the board, that if we are going to speak about anything in the media, there’s a certain way we would do that and no other way.” Ms Masekela could not be reached for comment.
Source: Business Day
A board meeting yesterday, aimed at addressing these issues and instituting disciplinary proceedings against Mr Mokoetle, was cancelled by deputy chairwoman Felleng Sekha, the sources said. A board member, who did not wish to be named, said: “I and several of my colleagues will resign in the near future if we continue to be unable to exercise our fiduciary responsibilities.”
In June, other directors strongly criticised Dr Ngubane in a memorandum to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda. The memorandum, which Business Day has seen, accuses Dr Ngubane of misconduct relating to the appointment of Phil Molefe as head of news, and reveals that a special meeting of the board in May decided that its “relationship with, and trust in, the chairperson have irrevocably broken down”. It says that Dr Ngubane cancelled interviews for the head of news position on the day they were due to take place, before seeing to it that the interviews took place on a day when three members of the interview panel where unavailable. “The chairperson has stated to other directors ... that he was operating under the direct instructions of the president of the republic and that he was resolved to appoint his preferred candidate, whom he identified by name,” the memorandum says. It says Dr Ngubane and Mr Mokoetle held a secret meeting on May 20 and it was decided to appoint Mr Molefe as head of news. Two days later, the board cancelled the appointment. Since then Dr Ngubane had refused to meet other directors, and had failed to attend a scheduled meeting. Between them, Dr Ngubane and Mr Mokoetle had “seriously delay(ed) the development and implement (sic) of a turnaround strategy” as required by an agreement with the Treasury, and had “entirely undermin(ed) the ability of directors ... to exercise proper oversight or to provide strategic direction to the SABC”. Dr Ngubane last night confirmed that he was aware of one recent letter of resignation by a director, but would not confirm the person’s identity. “I passed on to the shareholder one letter, and the shareholder has not yet responded.” He denied that Mr Mello was the author of the letter, but would not answer when asked if it was Ms Masekela. He was not aware of the memorandum to Gen Nyanda, and denied that he had said he was following the president’s instructions in appointing Mr Molefe. “That’s an absolute lie; that’s pure mischief. I’ve never, never made such a statement. I just said I acted in terms of what was right.”
There were still corporate governance issues to address at the SABC, he said, but insisted dissenting directors should table their concerns at board meetings. Ishmael Vadi, chairman of the parliamentary communications portfolio committee, said it was “losing patience with the delay in resolving the tensions in the board”. If the issues were not tackled shortly, the committee would summon the board to explain the situation, he said. “I need to table it before the committee, but I can say it will be very, very soon. This kind of situation is unacceptable. It doesn’t augur well for the corporate governance of a very important institution.”
Tiyani Rikhotso, a spokesman for Gen Nyanda, said he was not aware of the memorandum sent to the minister in June. When asked whether he had resigned, Mr Mello said: “I don’t even want to go there. We have a standing principle in the board, that if we are going to speak about anything in the media, there’s a certain way we would do that and no other way.” Ms Masekela could not be reached for comment.
Source: Business Day
Sunday, January 3, 2010
SABC board unhappy with new CEO
The new SABC board would challenge the appointment of former Telkom Media chief content officer Solly Mokoetle as its group chief executive officer, the Sunday Times reported on Saturday. An anonymous "angry board member" told the paper that the board would protest the imposition of Mokoetle as CEO. "This means that we won't be able to appoint our own CEO, as boards usually do ... Their appointment was very unfortunate and a flagrant disregard of due process," the anonymous board member said.
Mokoetle, who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and December 2006, takes up office from January 1 on a five-year contract. The board member said the decision by Minister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda could plunge the SABC into "total chaos". Mokoetle's appointment followed a R11-million settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in August.
Mpofu had taken the public broadcaster to court after he was suspended for suspending then head of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala. Mpofu accused Zikalala of leaking confidential documents to the media. The board in turn suspended Mpofu on May 7 last year, saying he had no authority to act against Zikalala. In June, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed with costs the SABC's appeal against reinstating Mpofu. The judge ruled that then SABC board chairperson Khanyi Mkhonza was caught up in the bitter rivalry between Mpofu and Zikalala, whose contract as head of news and current affairs ended in April. But in August the two parties reached an agreement that Mpofu would be paid out.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Mokoetle, who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and December 2006, takes up office from January 1 on a five-year contract. The board member said the decision by Minister of Communications Siphiwe Nyanda could plunge the SABC into "total chaos". Mokoetle's appointment followed a R11-million settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in August.
Mpofu had taken the public broadcaster to court after he was suspended for suspending then head of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala. Mpofu accused Zikalala of leaking confidential documents to the media. The board in turn suspended Mpofu on May 7 last year, saying he had no authority to act against Zikalala. In June, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed with costs the SABC's appeal against reinstating Mpofu. The judge ruled that then SABC board chairperson Khanyi Mkhonza was caught up in the bitter rivalry between Mpofu and Zikalala, whose contract as head of news and current affairs ended in April. But in August the two parties reached an agreement that Mpofu would be paid out.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
SABC appoints new group CEO
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has appointed former Telkom Media chief content officer Solly Mokoetle as its group chief executive officer, it said in a statement on Tuesday. "The decision to appoint Mr Mokoetle was based on his experience and a proven track record during the time the SABC was profitable, making him the most suitable candidate," the broadcaster's interim board chairperson Irene Charnley said. "The board is confident that his appointment will provide the required leadership to turn around the SABC while maintaining public broadcasting mandate."
Mokoetle, who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and December 2006, takes up office from January 1 on a five-year contract. His appointment followed a R11-million settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in August. Mpofu had taken the public broadcaster to court after he was suspended for suspending then head of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala. Mpofu accused Zikalala of leaking confidential documents to other media outlets. The board in turn suspended Mpofu on May 7 last year, saying he had no authority to act against Zikalala. In June, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed with costs the SABC's appeal against reinstating Mpofu. The judge ruled that then SABC board chairperson Khanyi Mkhonza was caught up in the bitter rivalry between Mpofu and Zikalala, whose contract as head of news and current affairs ended in April. But in August the two parties reached an agreement that Mpofu would be paid out.
Charnley said the process of replacing Mpofu was started by the previous board, and that it had shortlisted candidates for the position. When the interim board took over, it re-advertised the position "for the sake of transparency". The interim board recommended Mokoetle to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda following an intensive interviewing process.
Mokoetle left the SABC in December 2006 following a 12-year stint there. He started working at the SABC in 1994 on his return from exile as one of the team of executives assigned to transform the SABC from state broadcaster to a "true national public broadcaster". "He performed various leadership functions within the radio and television services and ended up as COO from 2001 until December 2006," Charnley said.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Mokoetle, who was the SABC's chief operations officer between 2001 and December 2006, takes up office from January 1 on a five-year contract. His appointment followed a R11-million settlement by the broadcaster to former CEO Dali Mpofu in August. Mpofu had taken the public broadcaster to court after he was suspended for suspending then head of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala. Mpofu accused Zikalala of leaking confidential documents to other media outlets. The board in turn suspended Mpofu on May 7 last year, saying he had no authority to act against Zikalala. In June, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg dismissed with costs the SABC's appeal against reinstating Mpofu. The judge ruled that then SABC board chairperson Khanyi Mkhonza was caught up in the bitter rivalry between Mpofu and Zikalala, whose contract as head of news and current affairs ended in April. But in August the two parties reached an agreement that Mpofu would be paid out.
Charnley said the process of replacing Mpofu was started by the previous board, and that it had shortlisted candidates for the position. When the interim board took over, it re-advertised the position "for the sake of transparency". The interim board recommended Mokoetle to Communications Minister Siphiwe Nyanda following an intensive interviewing process.
Mokoetle left the SABC in December 2006 following a 12-year stint there. He started working at the SABC in 1994 on his return from exile as one of the team of executives assigned to transform the SABC from state broadcaster to a "true national public broadcaster". "He performed various leadership functions within the radio and television services and ended up as COO from 2001 until December 2006," Charnley said.
Source: Mail & Guardian
Monday, November 19, 2007
Solly Mokoetle joins Telkom Media
Former SABC COO Solly Mokoetle has been appointed chief content officer of Telkom Media, the board confirmed on Friday, 17 November 2007. "We believe that Solly's vast experience in the broadcasting industry makes him the ideal candidate for the position and we are very excited to have him on board," said Telkom Media CEO Mandla Ngcobo.
Telkom Media was recently granted a commercial satellite and cable broadcasting licence by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA). The company is developing a set of digital media businesses, which include pay TV services via satellite and IPTV platforms, as well as a range of online content and ISP services.
Mokoetle has more than 25 years' experience within the media and broadcasting industry. He spent 13 years at the SABC and for the past seven years was the COO at the SABC and executive director of the SABC Board. Prior to that he was head of the SABC's Multi-channel Strategy Task Team. He also spent several years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in both the regulatory and production environment.
Commented Jimi Matthews, head of news at Telkom Media, "Having worked with Solly in the past, I have the utmost respect for his integrity and his management style. He is a true broadcast professional who will bring strategic and operational leadership to the content business of Telkom Media."
Mokoetle, who has a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton University Ottawa (Canada) and a variety of executive management program qualifications, sits as a board member of Input, the South African Post Office, Sentech, and as chairman of the African Broadcast Media Partnership (ABMP) against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Source: Biz Community
Telkom Media was recently granted a commercial satellite and cable broadcasting licence by the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA). The company is developing a set of digital media businesses, which include pay TV services via satellite and IPTV platforms, as well as a range of online content and ISP services.
Mokoetle has more than 25 years' experience within the media and broadcasting industry. He spent 13 years at the SABC and for the past seven years was the COO at the SABC and executive director of the SABC Board. Prior to that he was head of the SABC's Multi-channel Strategy Task Team. He also spent several years with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in both the regulatory and production environment.
Commented Jimi Matthews, head of news at Telkom Media, "Having worked with Solly in the past, I have the utmost respect for his integrity and his management style. He is a true broadcast professional who will bring strategic and operational leadership to the content business of Telkom Media."
Mokoetle, who has a Master of Journalism degree from Carleton University Ottawa (Canada) and a variety of executive management program qualifications, sits as a board member of Input, the South African Post Office, Sentech, and as chairman of the African Broadcast Media Partnership (ABMP) against HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Source: Biz Community
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)