SABC rejects claims that it’s on the brink of collapse

The SABC has denied, what it calls, alarmist allegations by the Communication Workers Union (CWU) that the public broadcaster is on the brink of collapse.

In a statement, the SABC has reassured South Africans that it has successfully moved into its new structure and that the interruption to its broadcasts on Thursday was as a result of power supply issues from City Power.

It says it has  put in place mitigating plans to ensure continuity in broadcasting on all its platforms and remains fully committed to fulfilling its mandate of informing, educating and entertaining the public.

“The SABC would like to reassure South Africans that it has successfully moved into its new structure. The interruption to its broadcasts on Thursday was as a result of power supply issues from City Power.

The SABC has put in place mitigating plans to ensure continuity in broadcasting on all its platforms and remains fully committed to fulfilling its mandate of informing, educating and entertaining the public,” says the public broadcaster’s Mmoni Seapolelo.

Meanwhile, the CWU, has threatened to write a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa to save the SABC. It accused management of trying to play down the actual crisis at the public broadcaster.

The union says if government doesn’t take stern action, the public broadcaster will collapse and this will have a negative impact on the public at large. CWU Spokesperson, Aubrey Tshabalala, says urgent action is needed to turn the SABC around.

“Earlier this year we have marched to Union Buildings. We have written a letter to the president indicating this thing that it will happen, and the president has not come back to us. We will institute another letter to the president making sure that we raise these issues because if the President of the country is not responding again, it will mean that they want collapse SABC as the state,” says Tshabalala.

The public broadcaster transitioned into its new structure on the first of this month after sacking more than 600 workers.

Bemawu threatens legal action following SABC retrenchments:

Despite public flak over the issue – the parastatal’s management insists that it’s the only way to keep the public broadcaster afloat.