I’m a whistle-blower, Mohlala-Mulaudzi tells parliament

Suspended property watchdog CEO Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi says allegations of wrongdoing against her are highly improper and have been raised to jeopardise her chances of returning to the SABC board.

“As a black woman executive,” she said she was being treated differently and will approach the SA Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Gender Equality in this regard.

Mohlala-Mulaudzi was responding to MPs’ questions on Tuesday during her interview for a seat on the incoming SABC board. The current board’s term ends on October 15.

DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard asked her about a slew of allegations against her in previous jobs. This included last week’s announcement by the Property Practitioners’ Regulatory Authority (PPRA), where she is suspended as a CEO, that a forensic investigation implicated her in:

• contravening pension fund legislation and rules;
• irregular appointments of staff;
• appointments of underqualified people;
• flouting of procurement processes leading to irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure; and
• fraud. 

She is facing a disciplinary hearing.

In response, Mohlala-Mulaudzi questioned the PPRA’s handling of the matter, saying she found the authority’s procedure “very strange”. She said it was odd that the forensic report was published while the disciplinary process, which is sub judice, was ongoing.

“I believe there is someone out there who wants to jeopardise my chances of getting back on to the SABC board and that is a direct violation of my constitutional rights. In terms of the constitution, I have a right to economic activity and that right must be protected unless there is a finding to the contrary.

“As I sit here, there is no finding against me,” she said.

Mohlala-Mulaudzi said instead that she was a whistle-blower who should be protected in terms of the Protected Disclosures Act and that she had reported board members’ interference with tender processes.

“Lo and behold, the next thing I am under suspension,” she said.

As an implicated person, she had not been given an opportunity to look at that report and comment, she said.

She described herself as “a woman of integrity”, who has had a clean stint in the public service for more than 20 years.

Asked why she wanted to retain a seat on the board, Mohlala-Mulaudzi said she still had a lot to contribute.

“If I am given an opportunity to return to the SABC board, the most critical issue I believe the SABC needs to deal with is being self-sustaining. It’s critical that the SABC ceases to live on bailouts.

“I will make sure that we not only get full value from our public broadcasting services and public commercial services mandate, but we monetise the content that exists at the SABC, future content to be provided, and make sure that we become self-sustaining.”

Public broadcasting lobby group SOS Coalition objected to Mohlala-Mulaudzi’s shortlisting, with coalition co-ordinator Uyanda Siyotula writing to the communications portfolio committee: “Frankly, Ms Mohlala-Mulaudzi has a troubled history of causing organisational chaos wherever she is deployed.”

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