City Press writes that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is in chaos, with the finances of the state broadcaster in such disarray that a halt has been called to producing new TV shows and staff members fear they won’t be paid.
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said last week that the organisation’s finances were “under pressure, with the SABC now funding its activities from its reserves”. However, numerous senior insiders said the situation was far worse. “We’re not even sure [if] we can pay salaries at month’s end,” said an insider close to the treasury division. However, Kganyago insisted salaries would be paid and denied the crisis was worse than in 2008. “We collect revenue every day. Yes, our reserves are down, but we are able to meet all our commitments,” he stated.
Many of those promised permanent jobs have received only fixed-term contracts. According to the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers’ Union (Bemawu), former staffers are increasingly heading to the CCMA because they had reasonable expectations of their contracts being renewed. The Media Workers’ Association of SA advised that the SABC has cut back hard on security staff.
- Read this report by Charl Blignaut in full at City Press
- See too, SABC staff might not be paid in April: Blade Nzimande, at SABC News
- And also, SABC denies claims it cannot pay employees this month, at EWN
Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page