SABC stay-at-home staff cost R10m

Published 13 years ago

Deon de Lange

Political Bureau

RACISM, theft, dishonesty and insubordination are just some of the reasons why 26 staffers at the SABC have been on suspension at the troubled public broadcaster since January last year.

Responding to a parliamentary question from Cope MP Juli Killian, Communications Minister Roy Padayachie revealed that the 26 staff members suspended have cost the taxpayer nearly R10 million in stay-at-home pay. Further spending on “financial settlements” and other legal costs could more than double this, but the final amount is not known.

Suspensions include group CEO Solly Mokoetle, former acting CEO Gab Mampone and Nelson Mandela’s cameraman, Rapitse Montsho. And, following the recent dismissal of CFO and acting CEO Robin Nicholson, the SABC finds itself without a full-time CEO, CFO or COO.

Mokoetle reached an undisclosed settlement with the SABC in January and Mampone is challenging his March dismissal. Montsho is on “special leave” pending further investigation after an internal hearing found the cameraman not guilty of “stealing video material” which may have belonged to him.

Twenty staffers have since been dismissed. Ten are challenging their dismissals through internal appeals mechanisms or by having their cases referred to the CCMA for arbitration.

Padayachie said, to save on costs associated with disciplinary processes, the SABC decided to “only suspend employees for serious misconduct, when employees need protection (in cases of assault) or when the image of the SABC has been damaged”.

The charges against individual employees include racism, contraventions of public finance laws, dereliction of duty, threats of violence, dishonesty, unauthorised entry, leaking confidential information, negligence, insubordination and damage to property.

To add to the SABC’s woes, weekend newspaper reports suggested attempts to appoint a new CEO is mired in controversy as the ANC, Parliament and Communications Minister Roy Padayachie disagree over the most suitable candidate.