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DA labels Hlaudi a “modern day Goebbels” as it files court application

The DA has likened Hlaudi Motsoeneng to Joseph Goebbels, after filing a court application to revoke Motsoeneng’s new appointment at the public broadcaster.

The DA filed its lengthy affidavit in the Western Cape High Court today to have Motsoeneng’s appointment as GE of Corporate Affairs at the SABC declared unlawful, as it goes against the findings and recommendations of an investigation concerning him and the SABC by the Public Protector.

“The DA maintains that Mr Motsoeneng is a threat to South African democracy… Moreover, he is a modern day “Goebbels” who treats the public broadcaster as his personal fiefdom to spread propaganda,” the DA’s James Selfe told Parliament today.

The affidavit states that Motsoeneng be removed from the SABC and be barred from holding any high position, unless and until the Public Protector’s report is set aside by the Pretoria High Court.

DA also going after SABC Board

The DA is also going after the SABC Board in its court application, asking for the court to declare it inquorate as it only has six active members (below the required nine to operate legally) after two members resigned in front of Parliament and because “[it] has aided and abetted the sharp decline of the public broadcaster”.

“While the board should have taken steps to remove him [Motsoeneng] in the interest of the SABC, when they appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Communications they refused to see that Mr Motsoeneng could no longer continue as an employee of the public broadcaster,” Selfe said.

“In fact the remaining six members of the board have refused to rescind their support for Mr Motsoeneng. Instead they complained that they are being ‘bullied’ by Parliament and vowed to resist any inquiry into their fitness for office,” he added.

DA confident it will win its case

The DA indicated that it’s confident the court will rule in its favour, should the matter be heard, as it has won every case it has brought against the SABC and Motsoeneng in the past.

“It is never ideal to approach our nation’s Judiciary on these matters but has become necessary in the face of uncooperative government agencies who refuse to give effect to their statutory obligations to operate in the public interest,” Selfe said.

The party also blamed the ANC for the debacle and called on the party to support it in its court action, “if they are at all serious about restoring the credibility of our public broadcaster”.

[Source – DA, Goebbels image – CC Wikimedia Commons]

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