SABC CFO accused of arranging contract for twin

Johannesburg - The SABC’s chief financial officer, suspended for signing off a R3 million donation to a communications indaba without the permission of the board, is now being accused of arranging a contract for her twin sister to do public relations work at the same indaba.

Just weeks after the SABC clinched the deal to sponsor the Information and Communication Technology Indaba, Amancamani Media Consulting was brought on board to assist with public relations.

The Sunday Independent has established that Amancamani is owned by Dudu Moloi, the twin sister of Gugu Duda, who was suspended in September.

The Sunday Independent has seen a copy of the payments made for the ICT Indaba up until May 29.

On the schedule, Amancamani Media Consulting was paid over R180 000.

The schedule contains 46 payments totalling R4.4m. The payments include printing costs, hostess fees, travel expenses, carpeting and branding, and range from R700 to R1m for technical production and R3.9m for the venue.

The indaba was organised by former Generations actress Carol Bouwer through her company Carol Bouwer Productions for the Department of Communications.

It was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre over four days in June.

The indaba has come under the spotlight after it was alleged that Communications Minister Dina Pule interfered to appoint events management firm Khemano to help organise the event.

It has been alleged that Khemano’s owner Phosane Mngqibisa is romantically involved with Pule.

A source close to the indaba, who did not wish to be named for fear of reprisal, told The Sunday Independent Amancamani was contracted around the same time that the SABC signed off their donation in April.

But Moloi yesterday said her sister had “nothing to do with her presence at the indaba”.

And Duda said she did not get involved in the business of arranging any of the indaba’s service providers.

She did not answer questions about her sister’s contract for the indaba.

She said her suspension prohibited her from talking to the media.

But the source said the company was allegedly responsible for organising radio interviews.

“She did not source more than 10 radio interviews. One was with ThobelaFM.

“All the radio interviews were with SABC,” said the source.

Over the eight week period Amancamani would have made in the region of R22 000 a week.

The source explained that several service providers were paid before the indaba as there were concerns that they would not get paid when the event was completed.

The source disputed that only R3m was given to SABC, saying that it was R5m broken up into R3m and R2m.

The source could not specify which was the cash donation.

Carol Bouwer told The Sunday Independent that her company had an agreement with Khemano.

“Khemano subcontracted several companies whose directors or shareholders are not known to myself nor my company,” said Bouwer.

She referred all further media queries to Mngqibisa. When contacted Mngqibisa said he was at a funeral and could not comment. He asked to be called yesterday but did not respond to calls.

The SABC’s donation to the indaba comes after the cash-strapped public broadcaster’s R1.47 billion bail-out from the government.

Thami ka Plaatjie, the board’s deputy chairman appointed to investigate Duda’s donation, said the board had no knowledge of Amancamani’s involvement in the indaba.

“If such allegations come forward, the board will investigate further and add the charges to Gugu’s charge sheet,” said Ka Plaatjie.

He said the investigation had come about because the broadcaster’s policy was not to give cash donations, based on its financial position.

He said the investigation into Duda was still ongoing.

“She was served the charges two or so weeks ago. The disciplinary date will still be decided,” he said.

“We will want the matter to be started this year still,” said ka Plaatjie.

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Sunday Independent