Hlaudi’s million-rand pay increase

23 September 2015

The SABC’s Annual Report tabled in Parliament today reveals that the salary of its Chief Operations Officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, increased from R 2 872 000 to R 3 784 000 in this financial year.

This R 912 000 pay rise included a bonus of R 279 000.

This near million-rand pay increase is incomprehensible given the ongoing crisis at the SABC. Even the ANC acknowledges in its NGC discussion document that the SABC is in a crisis due to poor management and a lack of accountability.

It is significant that in 2014 the Public Protector found Motsoeneng guilty of unlawfully increasing his own salary three times in the space of one year. It appears that he is at it again. 

The Public Protector also found that Motsoeneng lied about having a matric when he applied for a job at the SABC. 

The fact is that Motsoeneng should have been suspended and disciplined by the SABC Board as directed by the Public Protector. Instead, Motsoeneng continues to rake in millions of rands at the expense of the TV licence paying public. 

There can be no justification for Motsoeneng’s salary to increase by 31% in one year. In comparison, other workers in the public sector such as nurses, teachers and police officers received a 7% increase over the same period.

It should be remembered that Motsoeneng was earning just R 334 000 as an SABC radio producer in 2010. Five years later and his salary has increased more than ten-fold. Must be nice to have friends in high places.

The DA will be requesting the Public Protector to investigate the lawfulness of Motsoeneng’s million-rand pay-rise. We cannot sit back and allow Motsoeneng to wreck the SABC and be rewarded handsomely for doing so.

Statement issued by Gavin Davis, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, 23 September 2015