The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) interim board on Friday said an R11-million payout to its former group chief executive officer Dali Mpofu was an important step forward for the public broadcaster.
”As part of the agreement, the former GCEO has agreed to withdraw all pending legal actions against the corporation.
”The SABC will in turn pay Advocate Mpofu all monies contractually due to him, as well as the legal costs he incurred,” the SABC Board said in a statement.
Interim board chairperson Irene Charnley described the settlement as an important step forward in stabilising the corporation.
According to the statement, a restraint of trade agreement was part of the deal, to safeguard the SABC’s protectable interests for an agreed period.
Mpofu would be paid R6 738 160, plus an additional R900 055, which was legally due to him.
”The legal costs resulting from the previous board’s decision to suspend Advocate Mpofu (R2,1-million) to be paid to his attorneys. The restraint of trade payment agreed to is R4,4-million.”
The Board said the Department of Communications had agreed to compensate the SABC in full for the payment.
Mpofu took the SABC to court after he was suspended for suspending then head of news and current affairs Snuki Zikalala.
Mpofu accused Zikalala of leaking confidential documents to other media outlets.
But, the board then suspended Mpofu saying he had no authority to suspend Zikalala.
In June, the High Court in Johannesburg dismissed with costs the SABC’s appeal against reinstating Mpofu.
The Congress of the People on Friday said it regarded the R11-million ”golden handshake” as an insult to SABC employees.
”It is an insult to hard-working SABC officials who kept the public broadcaster operational during the battle between management and the previous SABC Board,” spokesperson Phillip Dexter said.
Dexter accused the SABC of allowing Mpofu ”to simply walk away” from the legal and financial crisis at the public broadcaster.
”We will insist that physical payment of the golden handshake be suspended until investigations into the questionable management practices at the SABC have been completed,” he said. — Sapa