The rot at the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) appears to be deepening, with allegations of nepotism and power abuse now surfacing against its board chairperson, Nicholas Maweni.
Sunday World can exclusively reveal that Maweni allegedly bypassed formal recruitment procedures by sending the CV of a “connected comrade” — whose”identity is known to this publication — directly to Samro’s general manager of marketing, communications, and corporate social investment.
In the message, Maweni allegedly urged the general manager to consider the individual for a managerial position.
Conflict of interest
According to an insider, the candidate in question currently holds a deputy director post at the Department of Sport, Arts, and Culture, a revelation that has raised serious concerns around conflict of interest and backdoor appointments.
Maweni allegedly sent a WhatsApp message on April 11 that included a four-page CV as an attachment, which Sunday World has seen.
Sources close to the matter say Samro’s now-suspended chief operating officer, Mpho Mofikoe, was outraged when she discovered what she believed to be blatant interference in recruitment.
“She was livid; she felt Maweni had completely overstepped his role, bulldozing standard human resources [HR] protocols and encroaching on operational decisions that fall under her authority as chief operating officer.
“She lodged a formal complaint with HR and the board, accusing him of unfair labour practices and abusing his position as board chair.”
EFF MP wants Samro board disbanded
However, instead of addressing the complaint, Samro’s leadership reportedly turned on Mofikoe.
On Monday, Mofikoe was eventually suspended, a move that has sparked a backlash from industry figures, including Samro and EFF member and parliamentarian Eugene Mthethwa.
“The suspension of the COO [chief operating officer] is no surprise. She implicated the board and management during an extraordinary general meeting,” said Mthethwa.
“Let’s call it what it is: retaliation. Mpho [Mofikoe] is like Lieutenant-General [Nhlanhla] Mkhwanazi; she got things done, and in doing so, uncovered fraud by some high-level members. Now, she’s considered a threat.”
Mthethwa went further to call for the immediate dissolution of Samro’s board.
“The board is compromised. We need a full investigation into their conduct, especially the allegations against the chairperson.
“The COO filed grievances against both the CEO and chair regarding their attempts to obstruct justice. These are not trivial claims; criminal charges should be pursued,” Mthethwa added.
Internal grievance process
Samro acknowledged the incident and stated that it was handling it internally.
“The specific claims in question are currently being addressed through an internal grievance process, as stipulated by our established policies,” Samro said.
“To protect the integrity of this formal process and ensure fairness to all parties involved, Samro will not comment on the specific details of the matter at this time.
“It is imperative that we allow this procedure to run its course without prejudice or external speculation.”
Samro further stated that this was a common practice for most organisations.
“It is standard practice in many organisations for board members and executives to refer skilled individuals for consideration.
“At Samro, any such referral is directed through our robust human resources and recruitment policies to ensure a fair, competitive, and transparent process for all applicants.
“These established protocols are not bypassed; there has been no directive or attempt to bypass these stringent protocols.”
