Ferial Haffajee
The government has appointed a failed executive implicated in graft to head its state-of-the-art broadcasting school.
Solly Kotane, a former African National Congress propagandist, was appointed in February despite his failures at Bop-TV and the South African Communications Service (Sacs). While at Sacs, he was called to Parliament to explain why a company that employed his wife won a multimillion-rand printing contract.
The Electronic Media Institute of South Africa funded by the Department of Communications was established last month, and will run courses in broadcasting skills for industry and the government.
This week, the department’s Director General, Andile Ngcaba, said he was “95% sure that Kotane is going to leave [the broadcasting school]” because he is reportedly unhappy with his R200 000 annual salary. However, Kotane told the Mail & Guardian that he is staying in his post.
Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Broadcasting Jay Naidoo said he had no clue what was happening at the broadcasting school, which is the pet project of Ngcaba and other departmental czars.
Kotane said his three degrees in broadcasting qualified him for the job. Kotane has no broadcasting experience. He worked primarily for the ANC’s department of information and publicity at Radio Freedom and was a journalist with the Pan African News Agency.
Kotane was sidelined last year when Sacs was transformed into the Government Communication and Information System (GCIS). As the head, he failed to change the service. He resigned at the end of May last year when GCIS head Joel Netshitenzhe made it clear there was no room for him there.
There were 41 applications for the coveted post of executive director of the institute; it was given to Kotane despite his blemished record.