The SABC board and senior executives have told MPs that they have begun a process to consult labour unions over its intention to retrench permanent staffers and freelancers.
The current board and CEO of the SABC are the strongest the public broadcaster has had in at least 15 years. They should be left to get on with the job of repairing the damage caused by their predecessors.
The SABC on Wednesday set out in detail why it needs to retrench staff, with group CEO Madoda Mxakwe saying the public broadcaster is “technically insolvent”.
The SABC is set to retrench almost a third of its workforce. The public broadcaster set out restructuring plans on Monday evening in which it said as many as 981 of its approximately 3 400 permanent employees may be retrenched.
The SABC has slammed remarks by ANC secretary general Ace Magashule on Friday evening that the ruling party would not “allow” retrenchments at the public broadcaster.
The SABC has begun engaging with organised labour with a view to reducing the size of its workforce as the cash-strapped public broadcaster looks to cut costs.
The controversial channel supply agreement between the SABC and MultiChoice has run its course, with the two broadcasters signing a new deal that allows SABC News and SABC Encore to continue to be broadcast on DStv.
The SABC has appointed Madoda Mxakwe and Yolande van Biljon as its new group CEO and chief financial officer respectively, the public broadcaster’s board said on Sunday. Van Biljon starts the job on Monday, 25 June