Govt should help SABC in its turnaround strategy: Mokonyane

Minister of Communications Nomvula Mokonyane says the government should help the SABC in its turnaround strategy. The embattled public broadcaster has been facing financial woes for a while.

It is also contemplating retrenching workers in a bid resuscitate its finances.

Mokonyane was addressing the Communication Workers Union (CWU) elective congress in Bela-Bela in Limpopo.

She says retrenchments must be last option at the SABC. “Retrenchment must be the last thing and also important with the best skills and the scare skills in our country, re-skilling should be become one of those critical areas because there they develop institutional memory.”

CWU says government’s urgent intervention is needed in granting the SABC a bailout to enable it to carry out its mandate.

CWU Secretary-General Aubrey Tshabalala says a bailout from government is needed.

“The mandate of the SABC seeks to say that they must promote programmes but do not naturally make profit. However, a swift intervention by government is required so the government must be hands-on in making sure that the SABC is afloat in terms of finances. But it’s also equally important that the SABC management and the board present a sound request for this bailout. Because, immediately after this bailout, we have to talk of the SABC funding model, because we cannot continue on an institution that relies on a bailout.”