Hlaudi Motsoeneng was appointed SABC COO in 2012 despite the Public Protector finding in February 2014 that he had lied about completing matric. Former SABC chair Ben Ngubane testified at the Zondo Commission: "We knew Motsoeneng didn't have matric, but he had the skills." He was permanently appointed as COO in July 2014 — despite the Public Protector's findings.
Motsoeneng mandated a "sunshine journalism" policy requiring positive coverage of government. In May 2016, he issued a directive banning the broadcast of violent service delivery protest footage, creating what senior journalists described as a climate of "fear, lack of clarity and low staff morale."
Financially, the SABC was devastated. The Auditor-General flagged R5 billion in irregular expenditure in the 2015/16 financial year alone. The SABC posted a net loss of R411 million that year. The accumulated irregular expenditure closing balance reached R6.2 billion over the Motsoeneng era. The SABC ultimately required a R3.2 billion government bailout to remain operational.
Motsoeneng was paid an R11.5 million "success fee" in 2016, authorised by board members Mbulaheni Maguvhe, Ndivhoniswani Tshidzumba, and Maleshane Raphela. In December 2021, the High Court ordered Motsoeneng to repay R11.5 million plus interest (approximately R18 million total). The SCA dismissed his appeal in January 2023. The Constitutional Court dismissed his final appeal in September 2024. The SIU has recovered approximately R6.5 million from Motsoeneng's pension benefits. The remaining debt is outstanding.
The Zondo Commission found it "most probable" that Motsoeneng's "gross abuse of power at the SABC, including diverting public resources to benefit the Guptas' rival media company" was sanctioned by Minister Muthambi and President Zuma.