Chris Maroleng, the former MTN Group senior executive, has been fired as chief operating officer of the public broadcaster with immediate effect. He had been in the role for just over a year.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SABC said that “after due consideration of the findings and recommendations of a disciplinary process, the board resolved to terminate the contract of employments of … Maroleng with immediate effect”.
City Press reported earlier this month that Maroleng faced the chop after he was found guilty on three charges of misconduct. He reportedly clashed with some SABC board members and the group CEO, Madoda Mxakwe.
Charges against him reportedly included gross negligence and breach of fiduciary duty, the City Press article said.
Maroleng took the COO role from the controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who left the public broadcaster under a cloud. He was tasked with implementing several big projects, including the broadcaster’s long-delayed migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television.
Prior to joining the SABC, Maroleng was head of external communications at MTN Group, where he had to manage several crises for the telecommunications operator, including the US$5.2-billion fine (later reduced to $1-billion) imposed by Nigerian regulators that sent the group’s share price into a tailspin in 2015 and 2016. — (c) 2019 NewsCentral Media
