Business Day
*SABC puts news chief on leave* *Trevor Neethling, Business Day, Johannesburg, 11 April 2012 *SABC CEO Lulama Mokhobo has placed the broadcaster's head of news and current affairs, Phil Molefe, on special leave.
The latest suspension is the umpteenth example of management instability, which has brought the embattled public broadcaster to its knees.
According to SABC insiders, Mr Molefe's suspension yesterday followed a breakdown in his relationship with Ms Mokhobo, who was appointed in January. Mr Molefe was acting CE until then.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago yesterday declined to say why Mr Molefe had been placed on special leave. Ms Mokhobo had called for the action with immediate effect yesterday, pending the outcome of a meeting between the two, he said.
"It is not a suspension. If it was a suspension it would be pending an investigation, but it is not. It is special leave pending a discussion," Mr Kganyago said. "There is no suspension. There is no investigation. There is no disciplinary action." He denied there was tension between Mr Molefe and Ms Mokhobo.
Head of television news Jimi Matthews would fulfil Mr Molefe's duties while he was away, Mr Kganyago said.
Mr Molefe's suspension followed a report in the Sunday Independent which said he had made unilateral changes in the editorial department and stripped Mr Matthews of his powers. Unnamed sources told the newspaper that the demotion was "politically motivated by factions within the African National Congress (ANC)" to secure positive news coverage in the run-up to the ANC's conference.
Communications Workers Union spokesman Matankan a Mothapo said the union suspected Mr Molefe was placed on leave for allegedly leaking sensitive information to the media.
"If this is true, we suspect he is not alone and that some members of the board are also doing this in order to destabilise the SABC."
Broadcasting, Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union secretary-general Hannes du Buisson said the SABC would need convincing evidence to place someone on special leave.
Media Workers Association of SA secretary-general Tuwani Gumani said instability was keeping the SABC in a state of "negative flux". He called on Communications Minister Dina Pule to act decisively on the matter.
Ms Pule could not be reached for comment. [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> *From: http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=169269* ** ** ** -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . You don't have to put anything in the "Subject:" field. You don't have to put anything in the message part. All you have to do is to send an e-mail to this address (repeat): [email protected] .
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