SABC battles to keep Hlaudi from millions

The SABC and its former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng are at loggerheads again, this time over his pension payout and payment for his leave days.

The SABC's interim board has been scrambling behind the scenes to withhold Motsoeneng's pension funds and his outstanding leave days.

So hot is the battle that the SABC filed an urgent application at the South Gauteng High Court in Joburg seeking to interdict its own pension fund from authorising Motsoeneng's pension benefits payment, stating that it had a damages claim of about R11-million in unlawful payments made to him.

It is understood that the SABC wants to claim back the R11-million bonus Motsoeneng got for the controversial MultiChoice deal he signed .

The SABC was told by its pension fund to either forget about the funds or obtain a court order compelling it to withhold Motsoeneng's millions as it said it did not want to get involved in their dispute.

According to documents seen by Sunday World, the battle over his pension moolah started in July after Motsoeneng wrote to the SABC asking for a pension fund benefits withdrawal form.

His requests were ignored for more than two months, prompting him to issue legal threats against SABC management.

A letter sent by Motsoeneng's lawyer Zola Majavu to the SABC accused management of withholding pension fund documents and his client's leave days payment.

Majavu threatened to take legal action against management in their individual capacity.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said: "This matter is before the court. We are therefore unable to comment. The leave days are not part of the pension fund, therefore they are not part of this case. Both Mr Motsoeneng and [former acting CEO James] Mr Aguma's leave days have been paid."

Motsoeneng confirmed that he received his leave days payment on Tuesday but said the SABC must still explain to him what calculations they used to arrive at the figure paid to him.

Majavu confirmed that the SABC has filed an application to obtain an order to compel the pension fund to withhold his client's benefits.

"We are opposing the matter because we don't believe that they have legal grounds ."

He said the matter was postponed to October due to lack of urgency.