Deputy Minister of Communications, Pinky Kekana, says unpaid TV licences are partly to blame for the SABC’s financial woes. The SABC Board is appearing before the Portfolio Committee on Communications to present their turnaround strategy.
The public broadcaster plans to cut the corporation’s R3.1 billion salary bill.
Section 189 of the Labour Relations Act could see the retrenchment of hundreds of workers to cut costs. Kekana says are looking into creating new path for the SABC to ensure its future is protected.
“It is in our hands and in our interests to make sure that we all sustain the SABC. We know the main revenue stream around the SABC has been paying of TV licences. Whatever movie or soapie you watch, it means we must pay 76 cents a day as viewers. That has not been happening and brings unintended consequences because if we don’t pay that it means even the staff of the SABC cannot be sustained.
The SABC, led by board chairperson Bongumusa Makhathini is in Parliament to present its turnaround strategy.
The SABC is in dire financial strain and retrenchments are in the pipe line.
Indications are that the public broadcaster’s turnaround plan has not been approved by Communications Minister Nomvula Mokonyane.
The Board has been asked to indicate if the plan has been approved by the Mokonyane when they’re presenting.
Committee chairperson Humprey Maxhegwana says they had thought that this matter would at least by now been ironed out by now.
“We thought that by now everything will be sorted out but it looks like the minister is not sorted out we have been waiting for this turnaround strategy for a month now and it’s not finalised between the board and the shareholder”.
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