SABC staff reject upcoming retrenchments
AUCKLAND PARK – SABC staff protest as they reject the public broadcaster's plans to retrench 400 workers.
The group of South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) employees, referred to as the SABC Section 192 Movement, held their protest outside the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park on 16 November. Dressed in all black and placards in hand they called for an end to the restructuring plans which could result in at least 400 staff members being retrenched.
The SABC Section 192 Movement said in a media statement, “We are public service broadcasters, who believe that Section 192 of the South African Constitution obliges us to provide universal access to the airwaves, to all South Africans, rich or poor. We believe that the new structure imposed by management through a procedurally unfair and unjust process, inherently is inappropriate for public broadcasting not to mention that it is unconstitutional.”
Speaking at the demonstration, SABC News foreign editor Sophie Mokoena explained that every work understands the situation the SABC finds itself in but urges management to find a better solution than retrenchments. “The workers have already compromised and they are willing to comprise further but I think the process of engagement wasn’t transparent or justifiable and it is for this reason we came out as ordinary workers in our own one-hour lunch time just to say, ‘Guys let’s go back to the discussion table and let’s talk and resolve this’.”
Failure to do so came with a heavy warning from the group and those in attendance to support them such as the Communication Workers Union and Economic Freedom Fighters. They vowed to intensify their protest action if a different outcome could not be achieved, including the possibility of a total blackout of content and production at the SABC.
SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe has confirmed that they will be left with no choice but to carry on with the retrenchments which were expected to cut 600 jobs but was reduced to 400. He stated that the SABC had already attempted to avoid to reduce expenditure and increase cost saving measures but it was insufficient. He stated in an SABC interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpmZSY5cUB8) , “Unfortunately, based on this, we had to go through the process of reducing staff head count and in the process of compensation.”
However, on 20 November, the Board of the SABC announced that it would suspend the S189 process for a period of seven days. This would allow all stakeholders to
further engage and explore further options in an effort to ensure the financial sustainability of
the SABC. “The SABC is committed to meaningfully engaging with all its stakeholders as it continues to
make the Corporation financially sustainable in order to fulfil its public mandate,” said Mmoni Seapolelo, acting spokesperson.
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