The SIU will widen its scope of investigation to incorporate 5 state establishments in reference to The New age (TNA) media breakfasts hosted by the SABC a couple of decade in the past.
Briefing the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, SIU chief investigating officer Zodwa Xesibe stated there was not a lot to report concerning the investigation emanating from the proclamation issued late final 12 months.
“In respect of the investigation, in a way, this was proclaimed as a part of state seize suggestions.
“This investigation entails entities and one being Eskom, PetroSA, South African Airways, Transnet, the nationwide Division of Human Settlements in addition to the SABC,” Xesibe stated.
“These are entities that have been coerced to carry these enterprise breakfast conferences by TNA on the time it was known as The New Age and have been paid by SABC.”
She additionally stated the SABC had a contract with TNA for the internet hosting of the enterprise breakfasts.
“Our involvement within the SABC will probably be to observe the cost made by the state establishments to SABC after which to TNA,” Xesibe added.
SIU head Andy Mothibi stated they are going to be investigating the enterprise breakfast occasions that have been held and supported by numerous establishments with SABC as platform used to host them.
“We will probably be investigating in any respect the establishments. It’s early phases. There are not any outcomes but on this one,” Mothibi stated.
In its presentation to Scopa, the SIU stated it submitted a motivation for the proclamation in 2019 and 2022.
It stated issues forming a part of the proclamation got here to its consideration whereas investigating sure affairs of the SABC when it turned conscious of a contract between the general public broadcaster and TNA for 3 years.
“By way of the settlement, the SABC would broadcast a collection of occasions described as ‘The New Age breakfast Briefing delivered to you by the SABC hosted by TNA’, which (would) be briefings hosted by TNA.”
It additionally stated TNA subsequently concluded agreements with Eskom, PetroSA, SAA, Transnet, and the nationwide Division of Human Settlements.
“By way of these agreements, the state establishments would pay ‘sponsorship charges’ to TNA in respect of the enterprise briefings and would, in return, obtain media publicity from the enterprise briefings.”
The SIU stated it had obtained additional data from the Zondo Fee, which discovered that the enterprise briefings weren’t solely irregular however wasteful too.
President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the newest proclamation in October 2024.
“The proclamation interval covers occasions which passed off between 1 January 2011 and he date of publication of the proclamation, which is eighteen October 2024 and consists of issues which passed off earlier than or after the aforesaid interval however are related to, related with, incidental or ancillary to issues within the Schedule of the proclamation or contain identical individuals, entities or contracts investigated beneath the authority of the proclamation.”
Xesibe stated proof obtained indicated TNA’s involvement in SABC was intertwined with entities similar to Eskom, Transnet, and PetroSA.
“The SIU has investigated this matter so far as potential and decided that it could possibly solely be investigated to the core with an extra proclamation that may mandate such investigation.”
In the meantime, the SIU’s presentation acknowledged that an software was introduced by the SABC to put aside the contract on which TNA’s declare of R144m was based mostly following the liquidation of the Gupta-owned firm.
SIU authorized counsel Ntuthuzelo Vanara stated the TNA declare towards SABC confirmed the enterprise breakfast briefings have been performed utilising tools and airtime of SABC with out cash being paid.
“As a result of there was a declare for cost on account of TNA, we have been capable of save R145m as a result of the corporate has gone into liquidation and the liquidators didn’t pursue their claims towards the SABC,” Vanara stated.
He acknowledged that the SIU was pursuing the administrators of TNA.
“We’re to use for a brand new date for a listening to towards the administrators,” Vanara added.
mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za
