/ 21 March 2014

CFO Duda has been summarily dismissed, says SABC

An SABC spokesperson confirmed that the national broadcaster's chief financial officer
An SABC spokesperson confirmed that the national broadcaster's chief financial officer

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago on Friday confirmed that the national broadcaster's chief financial officer, Gugu Duda, was dismissed, following newspaper reports.

“I can confirm the ruling of the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration on the 19th [of March], and she has been summarily dismissed," Kganyago said.

Duda was suspended in September 2012 in connection with procurement and financial irregularities. Tian Olivier took over as acting chief financial officer.

Last month, public protector Thuli Madonsela found that former communications minister Dina Pule had interfered “unduly" in Duda's appointment as SABC's chief financial officer.

Asked who would fill her position, Kganyago said, “The process of advertising will happen over a period of time." However, he said that Olivier was still acting in the position.

Tshabalala's labour dispute
In February, the Mail & Guardian reported that SABC board chairperson Zandile Ellen Tshabalala filed a labour dispute affidavit asking for the dismissal of Duda, who was found by the public protector Thuli Madonsela to have been irregularly appointed.

Tshabalala's CCMA submission, dated February 24, is "an employer's plea in aggravation" that calls for Duda's dismissal.

It follows a "ruling on substantive guilt" made in December by commissioner Kenny Mosime at the CCMA's pre-dismissal arbitration hearing held at Auckland Park.

Duda, a chartered accountant, at the time denied all charges of misconduct against her in her submissions to the CCMA.

In her CCMA submission, Tshabalala wrote that Duda had been found guilty of serious acts of misconduct, the chief of which was misleading outgoing group chief executive officer Lulama Mokhobo over a R1-million payment given to the inaugural ICT Indaba held in Cape Town in 2012.

Madonsela: Motsoeneng acted irregularly 
In her report, Madonsela found that acting chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng acted irregularly with the communications department's acting deputy director general Themba Phiri to "orchestrate" Duda's appointment.

"Ms Duda was interviewed on 7 February 2012, without having applied for said post," wrote Madonsela.

The interview took place after the board had already recommended another candidate to the then communications minister, Dina Pule, who was later removed from her job by President Jacob Zuma.

"The conduct of the SABC management, particularly Mr Motsoeneng and the board, in the appointment of Ms Duda as the CFO [chief financial officer] of the SABC, was in violation of the provisions of section 19.1.1 of the Articles of Association and Broadcasting Act, and accordingly unlawful," Madonsela said in her report. – Additional reporting by Andisiwe Makinana and Glynnis Underhill