DA calls on Minister to account for SABC crisis
14 July 2023
The DA will write to Minister Mondli Gungubele as well as the Chairperson of the Communications Portfolio Committee, requesting the Minister to account to Parliament on how he intends to save the SABC and avoid day zero without wasting crucial taxpayer money.
The recent admission by the Chief Financial Officer at the SABC that the executive team has no sense of urgency and is running "on autopilot" is alarming. As day zero approaches, where the SABC will no longer be able to pay salaries, immediate action is necessary.
Morale amongst employees is at an all-time low, with many wondering if they will have a job next month and whether a fresh round of retrenchments will take place due to a complete lack of senior leadership. It is disheartening to see that while top executives at the SABC earn a combined R32.5 million per year in salaries, the employees and their families are the ones at risk of becoming jobless and struggling to put food on the table.
This failure falls squarely on the shoulders of senior management and the Minister, who has far-reaching oversight over the board and operations. The complete collapse of the SABC, which was ransacked during state capture, has seen a staff exodus and an inability to collect R44 billion in revenue from TV licenses. This is not a new issue; the SABC has been in constant danger for the past decade due to inefficient control systems and a lack of leadership, resulting in billions being incurred in irregular expenditure every year without fail.