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Impassioned pleas from South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) employees, protest actions and the apparent temporary withdrawal of layoff notices have plagued the broadcaster this week.
However, with the public broadcaster confirming Wednesday morning that the downsizing process was continuing as planned, some board members are speaking out against the cost-cutting measure.
An urgent meeting was held on Tuesday with the SABC board and executive, along with the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, and her deputy Pinky Kekana.
Ndabeni-Abrahams implored the board to “consider all options” and prioritize preservation of the works.
Also on Tuesday, disgruntled SABC employees voiced their complaints in no uncertain terms.
In a widely shared video, senior news journalist and Prime Time host Chriselda Lewis took the editorial floor and told news and current affairs group executive Phathiswa Magopeni in a passionate speech to return to her office and make what I was supposed to do. , instead of reducing the number of people.
ALSO READ: WATCH: SABC pulls layoff notices after day of great drama
The SABC was due to appear before Parliament’s communications portfolio committee Wednesday morning to provide an account of the downsizing process and any contingencies to mitigate “the current dispute with employees and unions.”
“I would like to ask the employees of the public broadcaster to exercise restraint and patience during this period of intervention by the department and Parliament,” said Ndabeni-Abrahams.
Earlier this week, Ndabeni-Abrahams rejected SABC’s downsizing measure, saying it did not follow the steps outlined in the Government’s Technical Advice Center and that the use of the Labor Relations Act meant the reductions should be the last resort tried.
But SABC’s downsizing decision has not been endorsed by the entire board.
‘Other ways to reduce costs’
SABC Board Vice Chairman Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi said The citizen on Wednesday, five board members sympathized with staff members over the impending layoffs.
Mohlala-Mulaudzi criticized the process, saying it has already had a “serious impact on staff morale.”
“There are other ways to cut costs and lower wages, such as freezing pay increases and bonuses, rather than cutting staff.”
He said that Ndabeni-Abrahams was a SABC shareholder on behalf of the government, but that the board should make an independent decision, which could override the minister’s opposition to the cuts.
“That is why we want our voices to be at the fore, to perhaps begin to influence those with a different view, that the approach taken is not correct or in the best interest of the staff.”
Mohlala-Mulaudzi also highlighted the problem resulting from loss of skills, in the event that staff are laid off.
‘Best interest of SABC’
He said that staff had risked their lives to cover the Covid-19 pandemic and “this is the ‘thank you’ they receive.”
“We are willing to consider any option to help the staff members. Even during the confinement, we were willing to make a contribution to the Solidarity Fund because we felt very good to all the people who suffered during the confinement. Now this adds to the pain.
“Fundamentally, we must do what is in the best interest of SABC. What’s in their best interest is to keep working in unison. “
He said the only way to guarantee a functional public station without getting another bailout was to “keep staff and morale intact.”
The 2019-2020 annual report of the public broadcaster revealed a net loss of R511 million, a decrease of 12% in total revenues, a reduction in TV license revenues of R791 million and R202 million in irregular expenses. Wasteful and fruitless spending was reduced by 87% to R27 million.
Updates to follow as more information becomes available.
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