Moshoeshoe appointed SABC Group Executive for News and Current Affairs

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has announced the appointment of a new Group Executive for News and Current Affairs, Moshoeshoe Monare.  Monare will his duty the 1st of June.

Monare is currently the Managing Director for Operations and Corporate Services at Arena Holdings.

He was the deputy editor for the Mail and Guardian, the Editor of the Sunday Independent and the Executive Editor of the Star. He previously worked at the SABC as a senior political reporter.

Monare’s appointment follows the dismissal of Phathiswa Magopeni three months ago, on the 28th of January.

This follows, the  firing of former SABC News and Current Affairs Group Executive Phathiswa Magopeni citing a breakdown of trust.

“An open and transparent disciplinary hearing chaired by Advocate Nazeer Cassim SC was held in public on 17, 20 and 21 December 2021.  Ms Magopeni was found guilty of misconduct for failure to take appropriate measures to ensure that the Court Order was complied with,” said the corporation in a statement at the time.

According to the broadcaster, Advocate Cassim SC recommended that Magopeni be given a sanction of a warning.

“However, if Ms Magopeni made common cause with the remarks as set out in the heads of argument submitted on her behalf, the SABC should, in its discretion and decision-making power, adopt a sanction which is consistent with that of a breakdown in the trust relationship between employer and employee. “

The SABC says Magopeni was afforded an opportunity to submit mitigating factors and to address aggravating factors identified by the SABC.

“After several requests for extensions, instead of taking up the opportunity to submit her mitigating factors and distance herself from the remarks in, amongst other things, the heads of argument submitted on her behalf, she elected not to submit her mitigating factors. Thus, she waived her right to do so. In the absence Ms Magopeni’s mitigating factors, the SABC concluded that there is a breakdown in the trust relationship between her and the SABC.”

The SABC says Magopeni’s services have been terminated with immediate effect: