A series of sensational allegations against SABC bosses about a top-selling TV show will result in arbitration, reports Peta Thornycroft
THE heads of SABC1 and 2 have been accused of illegally removing property from the offices of an independent television producer.
This is one of a series of sensational allegations involving prominent television and media personalities that will be arbitrated by advocate Gilbert Marcus, SC, later this month.
Independent producer Johanna Makgalemele has asked for arbitration over the termination of her contract with the SABC for her series Women on the Move. The only official explanation the SABC has given is in a letter to Makgalemele: “As a result of all the problems which were experienced with the first 13 episodes no decision has been taken regarding any further episodes.”
Documents in the possession of the SABC allege Thandi Thaninga-Msimango, head of SABC2, and Molefe Mokgatle, boss of SABC1, ordered a raid on the offices of Makgalemele in November last year.
The saga began last August when Johanna Makgalemele, sister of former Miss South Africa Basetsana Makgalemele, presented a proposal to SABC 2.
The concept was accepted and a contract entered into between Johanna Makgalemele’s company and the SABC to produce 52 episodes of the Women on the Move series. Makgalemele was to produce and present each 26-minute episode. After the first 13 had been made and had attracted excellent advertising and top audience ratings, the SABC informed Makgalemele she was to make no more.
The arbitration hearing will have access to letters written by Makgalemele; a former employee of hers, Lloyd Power; Msimango; and media personality and editor of Enterprise magazine Thami Mazwai.
Mazwai was not a party to the contract for Women on the Move. And yet he wrote to his friend Msimango saying women interviewed in the series had been “humiliated”. Shortly afterwards, Makgalemele learnt from the SABC she would be making no more episodes.
Mazwai’s only involvement in the series was an offer of research — to identify women who were making it in various fields. In return, he was given valuable publicity. Mazwai’s magazine featured prominently in several of the interviews and according to some in the production team, Makgalemele became increasingly irritated by his alleged interference and his magazine’s repeated exposure in a series in which he was not a contractual party.
Power, a hairdresser-turned-television- producer, wrote to Makgalemele with a long list of grievances and resigned from her company on November 26 after the first few episodes were in the can.
For reasons which are not clear from the file of documents at the SABC, Power also sent a copy of his letter of resignation to Msimango at SABC2.
Two days later, according to documents in the SABC’s possession, Power went to Makgalemele’s offices in Houghton, Johannesburg and seized documents, film tapes, a computer, and other items including a petty cash cheque. Power has written a statement claiming he did this on the orders of Msimango and Mokgatle.
In a letter signed by Esthea du Toit from the legal department, the SABC has acknowledged it has some of Makgalemele’s possessions but says it is making sure none of the items seized belong to the corporation.
The series Women on the Move, now renamed Lebone and with new presenters, continues to be shown on Monday nights on SABC2 with sets remarkably like those which belonged to Makgalemele. Credits at the end of the programme list LP Productions as the producers and Power’s and Enterprise magazine’s names appear as integrally involved in the series.
Mazwai has made it widely known he now wishes to become contractually involved in the lucrative series.
The Mail & Guardian made every effort to get a comment from Mazwai on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday morning read him the section of the report where he is named. The whole report was faxed to his office for comment.
He said on Thursday: “You should have given me time to respond. These are serious allegations. I am in the middle of a meeting … I am in Cape Town. You are being unprofessional.”
Asked whether he was contractually involved in any way with the series, he said: “This doesn’t give the whole picture. I cannot do business this way.” And he hung up.
SABC’s general manager for corporate communications Enoch Sithole said: “We will not comment now, there is a process of investigation going on and there are two sides of the story.”
The publicity department of the SABC said it was unable to supply photographs of Msimango without permission from Sithole.
Makgalemele is understood to have asked SABC to restore the series to her and for compensation for losses incurred since it was reassigned.
Makgalemele has been advised by her legal team to make no comment to the press until the arbitration is over.