BusinessLive reports that MPs have told the top brass of the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) that it was unfair of them to retrench ordinary workers while the public broadcaster was spending millions of rands on parties and bonuses.  

The SABC board and its senior executives appeared before the standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday to account for irregular expenditure incurred by the corporation in the past year.  Democratic Alliance MP Tim Brauteseth told the board that it was simply unjustifiable that workers could be facing retrenchment when Metro FM spent R14m on an awards ceremony and after-party during the 2017-2018 financial year.  SABC chair Bongumusa Makhathini indicated that, as part of cost-containment measures, the national broadcaster would no longer allow frivolous or exorbitant spending of public money.  “These are part of our cost-cutting.  Our austerity measures have saved us about R400m.  If people don’t see any efforts to cut costs and drive efficiencies, they will be very disappointed,” Makhathini stated.  IFP MP Mkhuleko Hlengwa made the point that there was no “standardised” remuneration regime at the SABC, particularly when it came to on-air talent management.

• Read the full original report by Thabo Mokone at BusinessLive

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