SABC man suspended over Fifa 2010 deal
The SABC's head of 2010 project unit Peter Kwele has been suspended, allegedly for spending about R26million to rent studio space belonging to a friend of his at the Sandton Convention Centre during the Fifa 2010 World Cup.
Sowetan has learnt that Kwele has not been to work for about two weeks now.
According to the Mail & Guardian, the studio space belonged to his friend Graham Cooke.
Cooke, the president of World Travel Awards, is friends with both Kwele and his wife, Lindiwe Mahlangu-Kwele, the chief executive of Johannesburg Tourism.
"He hasn't been at work since last Friday. I understand the suspension is for financial mismanagement," a source said.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago refused to comment.
In April Sowetan reported that the SABC had spurned the opportunity to rent space at Nasrec at about R3,8million.
Internal SABC documents revealed that the broadcaster's producers had told their bosses that the Nasrec centre should be used as broadcasting headquarters during the World Cup.
But former group executive of content enterprise Mvuso Mbebe said the price tag was too high and cancelled the plans. When SABC executives changed their minds a year later, Nasrec was fully booked.
The SABC secured space in the Sandton Convention Centre through a "contact" of Kwele.
A deal was struck. The cash-strapped public broadcaster would give Kwele's "contact" advertising worth R1million in exchange for the venue.
But the fee later shot up to R26 million.
BhutPapi
From a high ranking post to the streets, why do we like doing idiotic moves that we know when we get caught will take us to where we started when we struggled our way up.Report Abuse
SimbaT
I wonder how many scandals are still to surface regarding the world cup?? How can an institution of SABC's magnitude fail to secure a space for such an event? They were awarded broadcasting rights but still failed to get their in order prior to the commencement of the world cup. Only now such revelations are surfacing, why not during the world cup?? Anyway SABC board is infested with ANC comrades, hence such corrupt activities. It's the order of the day...Report Abuse
alleyr
he forgot to share this millions with them that is they suspended him now. hope you saved a little brother.Report Abuse
NTANDA
Hope your friend will look out for you brother, and hope your wife will still call you darling when you are unemployed and have nothing........ stupid stupid stupid!!!!!!!!!!Report Abuse
NEVERMIND
It's easy, he must take a percetage of gains and share it with war veterans, orphans, rural women etc etc etc.Report Abuse
Tshex
Well thats how life is they should live the man alone so that he can enjoy his share of the world cup. Its not like he is the only one who benefited from the world cup, There are people like bo Khoza who made close to a billion if not more from the world cup and they are enjoying the moneyReport Abuse
hensum
"SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago refused to comment" ....can somebody please explain what is the job of a spokesperson!!!!!Report Abuse
Tjarara
@Hensum,the job of a government's spokesperson is to wipe & cover other cadre's dirty @SSes. so the best way to cover it is to say no comment. but the term no comment will disapear when the Protection of ibof bill is passed. th new term will be........ the information classified.
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BUTTERNUT
He got what deserves, i hope that serves as a lesson to the others. It's not good to be unemployed, I agree with NTANDA, the wife might live him, who knows?Report Abuse