Zondo didn’t write state capture report, says Hlaudi

Former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng said on Monday he suspected that the state capture commission’s report, which has referred him to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for possible prosecution, was not penned by commission chair, chief justice Raymond Zondo.

Zondo recommended that the former SABC COO be investigated and prosecuted for possible contravention of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA), for his role in the business dealings between the public broadcaster and Gupta owned company TNA Media.

Responding to the report and its recommendations against him, Motsoeneng said: “After careful consideration, I am of the view that ... Zondo owes South Africans an explanation as to who is the real author of the state capture report.”

Motsoeneng said though the report recommends that he be investigated, it did this, however, “without findings” against him.

Gupta-owned TNA Media entered into deals with the SABC and other state organs through a show titled TNA Business Breakfast during Motsoeneng’s tenure at the public broadcaster.

The SABC carried the programme live for free, while state organs such as Transnet, Eskom and Telkom splurged millions sponsoring the show with TNA benefiting handsomely from the deal.

“It is most probable that Motsoeneng’s gross abuse of power at the SABC, including diverting public resources vested in the SABC to benefit the Guptas’ rival media company, appear to have been sanction by both Ms [Faith] Muthambi [the then communications minister] and [former] president Jacob Zuma,” Zondo said in the report released last week.

Motsoeneng hit back, saying the commission misrepresented the section of the PFMA in his case.

“I have come to a conclusion that the report was not written by Zondo.

“It cannot possibly be because judge Zondo as the chairperson of the commission cannot refer matters for possible prosecution based on an incorrect section of the PFMA,” Motsoeneng said.

Motsoeneng said what Zondo had “relied on doesn’t apply to the SABC.

“If indeed it was written by him, Zondo would not quote a wrong section.

“I do not believe that adv Thandi Norman, who was responsible for my oral evidence, ... was not part of the final conclusion of the report,” the former SABC COO said.

“I believe adv Norman will not have presented incorrect facts without evidence.

“It seems the person who presented the evidence from my oral presentation to the chairperson of the commission, presented merely gossips,” he said.