The SABC board is set to make a final decision next week on whether it will entertain any of the demands made by unions, including abandoning retrenchment plans.
The financially distressed public broadcaster, which has often required government bailouts to continue operating, sank into a deeper crisis this week when management indicated that it would would press on with plans to cut jobs in a bid to stabilise the public broadcaster’s dire finances and avert a collapse of the organisation.
But after an emergency meeting on Thursday, the SABC board said the issuing of retrenchment notices would be put on hold for a period of seven days to allow for further consultations and explore further options to ensure the sustainability of the organisation.
“The SABC is committed to meaningfully engaging with all its stakeholders as it continues to make the corporation financially sustainable to fulfil its public mandate,” the public broadcaster said.
But unions were not impressed and vowed to continue with their strike until retrenchments were completely off the table.
The SABC said it was fully aware of a plan to create “a blackout” on its platforms.
“We can confirm that there are contingency plans in place that will kick in immediately should this self-induced crisis be precipitated. There will be consequence management against any employee who is involved in the planned blackout,” the broadcaster said.
The Communications Workers Union (CWU) picketed outside the broadcaster’s headquarters in Auckland Park on Friday. The picket was carried live on the SABC’s 24 hour news channel, and the public broadcaster was yet to respond to questions on how programming was affected across its channels.
Among the demands are that management immediately withdraws all dismissal letters; retrenchments are abandoned; the board is dissolved and an administrator is appointed to run the public broadcaster; and a comprehensive skills audit is done.
The ANC Youth League also submitted its own memorandum which, among other demands, calls for all executives to take salary cuts.
The SABC, which has a wage bill of more than R3bn a year for its 3,000 permanent employees, received a conditional R3.2bn bailout from the government late in 2019, which it used to pay off most of its debt and invest in content. Part of the conditions included reducing the salary bill. Management has said it wants to reduce it by at least R700m.
CWU secretary-general Aubrey Tshabalala said the SABC executives could never be trusted and the announcement that the retrenchment exercise would be halted for seven days “is a PR exercise”.
He said if all the demands are not met, workers will “shut down the SABC”. He added that workers have support from all the major political parties except the DA.
SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe, who came out to accept the memorandum from protesters, said the issues raised would be submitted to the board and it was expected that a response would be provided next week.
Communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, who has blocked previous retrenchment attempts at the SABC leading to the resignation of some board members in 2018, entered the fray this week, calling on the broadcaster to consider other alternatives. The ANC also opposes the cuts, with secretary-general Ace Magashule telling the broadcaster in an interview on Wednesday that the party’s MPs were expected to fall in line and support the call to ensure that job losses are averted. He said the board, “which has ANC deployees”, should also do the same.
The board appeared before parliament’s communications committee on Wednesday evening to discuss the proposed job cuts, which could affect 400 of the almost 3,000 staff members. It emerged that at least five nonexecutive directors of the 12-member board opposed retrenchments, which have been on the table since 2018.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.