Head of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) Advocate Andy Mothibi says there is a need for a focussed and pointed approach to prevent fraud and corruption at the SABC.
Mothibi was briefing Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on investigations into the public broadcaster on Wednesday.
The investigations stem from at least two proclamations from 2010 and 2017.
Over the past few years, the public broadcaster has been rocked by scandal, including the irregular R11 million “success fee” paid to then SABC Chief Operating Officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng, irregular expenditure running into billions of Rands, the controversial R2.4 million Legends Payments and investigations into at least eight contracts, including the sale of SABC archives to MultiChoice.
“We…are of the view that we need a focussed approach to come up with a focussed prevention plan that will assist the corporation going forward. I have spoken to the current GCEO [Nomsa Chabeli] and we are seeking to ensure that the process gains momentum speedily.”
The SIU, said Mothibi, wants to see an overall prevention plan implemented.
The head of the corruption-busting unit described the investigations into the SABC as “intense” and same as the approach which was applied to investigations into other state organs.
“We have taken the approach that we did at SABC…to do a deep dive in terms of governance investigation and maladministration at all the state institutions that we are investigating particularly the SOEs,” Mothibi said.
During the presentation, SIU Chief National Investigations Office, Zodwa Xesibe, fleshed out some of the issues unearthed at the public broadcaster including:
- Bypassing of existing policies and procedures by the Board and senior managers, which led to the financial woes at the SABC.
- There was a general abuse of power at the SABC by the Board and senior managers, which promoted unethical behaviour and caused a variety of problems.
- Controls were repetitively bypassed through management override, collusion or abuse of power between those in power, or inaction and passiveness from other officials.
“The SABC should return to a culture that encourage honest discussions surrounding ethics and ethical challenges with one another and their managers, to allow ethical behaviour.
“Employees should be empowered by explaining what constitutes unethical behaviour and what the result of such can be on the Corporation. They should also know what their rights are and be encouraged to report such before it becomes a widespread problem,” she said.
Protections for whistleblowers must also be provided to “encourage employees to report problems and…foster an organisation that is ethical from top to bottom”.
“Changes should come from the management team by identifying the negative behaviours and substituting them with positive changes. This will allow for better ethical decisions, enforcement of policies and procedures amongst employees, and role-model ethical behaviour.
“Zero tolerance action to abuse or non-compliance with internal controls should be prioritised, as this would address the culture of abuse and management override in the SABC,” Xesibe said. – SAnews.gov.za
