Court documents have revealed how a top SABC executive allegedly deceived the company’s financial head into bankrolling her family and friends’ travelling and accommodation expenses. Suspended SABC sport group executive Sully Motsweni’s alleged three-year spending spree began in April 2014 and ended in April 2017.

The Mercury reports Motsweni – a close ally of former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng – duped the SABC into financing her relatives’ trips to attend company-sponsored events across the country, resulting in a loss of R45 182.

She allegedly used her position as the sport executive to get approval for the trips. The money covered air tickets and accommodation. Motsweni was arrested yesterday morning at her home in Boksburg, after the police informed her the night before of their investigation into 11 counts of fraud she had allegedly committed. She appeared at the Johannesburg Specialised Crime Court, where she was granted bail of R5 000.

The report adds in her 2014 report entitled ‘When Governance and Ethics Fail’, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela fingered Motsweni for having benefited handsomely when Motsoeneng abused his power by hiring her as general manager of compliance, operation and stakeholder relations in 2011.

She was then promoted to the position of acting group executive in risk and governance the following year. This move saw her salary shoot up from R960 500 a year to R1.5m.

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