'I never lied about my matric'

Motsoeneng appeared before the commission on Tuesday. 

He has come under fire for allegedly enabling editorial interference at the SABC and being part of the financial collapse of the public broadcaster.

An investigation by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela also revealed Motsoeneng has lied about passing matric.

Soon after taking his oath Motsoeneng asked the commission chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, if he could deal with the issue.

"I worked as a freelancer in 1989, I was still at school at the time until 1995 when I was approached by Alwyn Kloppers who was in charge of news at the time to join the SABC permanently. At the time they were looking for black journalists for different radio stations. I agreed to join the SABC, I was headhunted. It is an insult for people to say I lied about my matric, it does not go well with me."

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Motsoeneng told the commission he disclosed his lack of a matric to the SABC when he was headhunted and that the Department of Human Resources decided to put 'outstanding'  in a form he had to sign which wanted him to stipulate whether he had a matric. 

"Kloppers said to me I was so talented he did not think he needed me to have a matric to work for the SABC as he had seen my contribution as a freelancer."

Motsoeneng said the SABC paid for him to attend a broadcasting course, which is the only qualification he could produce. 

He insisted that nobody at the SABC is better than him, even those who hold doctorate degrees, as he has knowledge of broadcasting and has trained many at the public broadcaster.