A rumour that’s been around for years is that it’s not only Motsoeneng’s ‘good brain’ and political network that got him this far…
There is no denying that former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng has been a force to be reckoned with, once describing himself as an “intellectual lecher” (he meant lecturer, we think). Motsoeneng, like President Jacob Zuma, has to date survived everything thrown at him throughout his career, with Public Protector Thuli Madonsela and the courts ruling against his chief operating officer (COO) appointment at the public broadcaster.
On Tuesday, the public broadcaster held a media briefing to address, among other issues, the court ruling. It announced that the former COO would be reverting to his old position as group executive of corporate affairs, further saying Motsoeneng was free to apply for the COO position once it was advertised (as early as next week).
SABC chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe argued that Motsoeneng was being kept at the public broadcaster for “transformation” reasons. Last we checked, though, there were quite a few other black men in South Africa. Hlaudi may be unique in many, many ways, but that is not one of them…
Clearly, the man is impossible to fire. But why?
Some have argued that it has not only been Motsoeneng’s connection with politicians or his “good brain” that got him this far in his career. There have been rumours that his mother is President Jacob Zuma’s sangoma (don’t laugh, weirder things are true), and this has allegedly ensured that both men’s careers stay on track, despite what is thrown at them.
The rumour has been around for some time, as this tweet from serial tweeter and political commentator @Sentletse from March 2014 attests:
I believe Hlaudi's mother is Jacob's sangoma. That muti must be kak potent. No one close to him has the balls to say, "Zuma must go!"— IG: ConceptSixty5 (@Sentletse) March 20, 2014
Motsoeneng’s team did not make him directly available for comment, while SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago refused to comment. He said it was not his job to comment on personal matters, but could not confirm whether he had heard about the rumours.
Kganyago referred us to Motsoeneng, whose staff referred us back to Kganyago.
The presidency was not available for comment either. They failed to answer the phone for more than 30 hours. We’d ask them for comment on why they no longer appear to take phone calls from the media … if only … (anyone read the book Catch-22?)
News24 recently reported on Motsoeneng’s upbringing – and his family, community members and former colleague had a lot to say about him.
The publication spoke to the person who raised him – his aunt – who refused to give her name.
The 90-year-old said she was aware of efforts to bring her nephew down, adding that she believed that if people tried hard enough to bring Motsoeneng down, he would have an accident.
His aunt refused to tell the publication who Motsoeneng’s mother was and why she had not raised him herself.
EFF member Joseph Mabote, and Lehlohnolo Motsoeneng, said they did not see their cousin often, adding that they, too, did not know Motsoeneng’s mother’s name and could not describe where to find her.
The two, however, answered without hesitation that she was a sangoma, though they did not know if she was indeed Zuma’s sangoma. It’s unknown whether the president consults sangomas or not, but News24 wrote that rumours included that Hlaudi’s “mother is a powerful sangoma, whose spiritual strength has even drawn President Jacob Zuma into her orbit”.
A former colleague of Motsoeneng’s said they had heard the rumour about the SABC boss’ mother, but did not believe it.
He attributed Motsoeneng’s success primarily to political connections (not witchcraft), while another former colleague, Mahlomola Majake, told the publication a young Motsoeneng had done everything possible to mingle with politicians.
The sangoma thing sounds outlandish, but all the same, if the rumour is true, it would explain a lot.
Source: The Citizen
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