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By Zingisa Mkhuma, Loyiso Sidimba 
2h ago
Johannesburg – The SABC spent almost R1.2 million on 100 bulletproof vests for its journalists and the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, has defended the purchase as necessary.
Ndabeni-Abrahams was answering parliamentary questions from IFP MP Liezl van der Merwe, who asked why the vests were considered necessary equipment for SABC staff.
“The signed business case was received by the supply chain management on March 9, 2018. This is a date when the vests were considered necessary equipment for the staff of the SABC news division,” Ndabeni replied. Abrahams.
She said the vests should be distributed fairly to all SABC news bureaus and not assigned to individual reporters.
The 100 vests were between the medium and extra-large sizes and cost between R9 300 and R11 000 each.
Ndabeni-Abrahams also revealed that the public broadcaster, which has announced that it will reduce some of its staff, spent R58.4 million on independent contractors between April and October this year.
He also defended SABC’s R11m salary bill for July this year, which included R9m actually paid plus additional R2m for accrued expenses.
During the blackout period, journalists were supplemented by independent contractors, and this is the period when the most Covid-19 cases were reported in the news division and freelancers were used. The nature of SABC’s news operation is such that the services of independent contractors are indispensable, ”said Ndabeni-Abrahams.
He also told Van der Merwe that SABC hired Johannesburg-based public relations agency PR Worx for 12 months to clean up its image of R2.3m in July this year.
When asked why it was deemed necessary to hire a public relations firm to work for the SABC considering that the public broadcaster has an internal public relations and personnel component, Ndabeni-Abrahams said it added more to your turnaround strategy, address and better manage your reputation. and corporate image, which is a priority.
According to Ndabeni-Abrahams, the SABC therefore sought out a suitably qualified and competent undertaking such as reputation management, corporate image building, and market research services that the public broadcaster required but was not available. in your skill set and internal resources.
Ndabeni-Abrahams also revealed that SABC’s legal bill exceeded R65.3 million.
Last month, the SABC was forced to reinstate its television news anchor Palesa Chubisi after the Labor Court declared the termination of her employment contract illegal, invalid and void on October 19, 2020.
The Labor Court also overturned the public broadcaster’s decision to terminate Chubisi’s employment contract and ordered that she be allowed to report for duty with immediate effect.
Three weeks ago, the SABC lost its attempt to overturn the reinstatement of commercial companies CEO Nompumelelo Phasha in the Labor Appeal Court after she was fired in 2018.
Independent Sunday
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