BusinessLive reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has fired 26 staff at its TV licence department after a go-slow, thereby placing in jeopardy the collection of fees.  

Spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo said on Monday the employees had been sacked for misconduct.  The dismissed employees are said to have participated in what they thought was a legal go-slow.  Seapoleo indicated:  "Despite numerous attempts by management to dissuade them [the employees] from continuing with this unlawful action, they continued with the action.  Consequently they were subjected to an internal disciplinary process, which was in compliance with the requirements of procedural and substantive fairness.”  Only a few staff are believed to remain at the department, as the SABC continues to struggle to collect licence fees and to address its financial crisis.  The public broadcaster is heavily reliant on advertising and revenue from licence fees to stay afloat.  It recorded a loss of R977m after tax in 2016-17.  Yet, it hopes to return to profitability in the 2019-20 financial year.  It was recently revealed in parliament that the SABC was owed just more than R25bn in unpaid licence fees by April 2017 and that less than a third of people with TV licences were paying their annual fees

• Read this report by Bekezela Phakathi in full at BusinessLive

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