The planned TV mass protest by TV producers, actors, crew and other members of the television industry to hand memorandum of demands at SABC's Johannesburg and Cape Town is not a good idea to embark on and its one of the most ineffective measures to be have taken. Its like beating a dead snake as our President would say, or trying to sue Eskom in the midst of blackout crisis which they just don’t have capacity even if there’s a will to prevent. SABC would never offer any solution carried in that memorandum, infact I dout they will even look at it.
SABC has been running like a headless chicken, trying to suck up to politicians who have made it clear that they want to get rid of the current board which was unceremonial paced by Thabo Mbeki few days after his defeat at Polokwane.
The board can’t function instead its members have turned against each other with the board Chairperson Khanyisiwe Mkhonza alleged to have been illegally spying at her fellow board members. another board member Bheki Khumalo wrote a letter to his fellow members accusing Mkhonza of of misconduct for allegedly:
Harassing and victimising Dali Mpofu, who was fired as group chief executive, costing the SABC R15 million in legal fees and severance pay;
Hiring a car and driver without proper authorisation at a cost of R200 000;
Granting sabbatical leave to a Pearl Luthuli, the SABC3 channel boss, costing the corporation R500 000;
Misleading the board in the appointment of a chief operating officer, costing the corporation R1 million in legal bills; and
Using an outside company to spy on the board members at exorbitant costs.
She is also accused of unauthorised expenditure amounting to R180 000 for having a security guard posted outside her home for a year.
The mass rally need to serve as the discussions on finding solutions to whole list of issues that are affecting the industry, such as practicing employment conditions – lots of companies in the industry are not playing by any acceptable labour rules, they are being run like spazza shop, they impose their own conditions to their employees, they overwork employees with no overtime payments, they don’t offer any incentives such as medical aids, pension funds or bonuses, their main concern is that employees perform to meet deadlines at all cost even it means risking their lives or health. The other issue is the lack of financial/funding availability to emerging producers.
The Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC) should engage Government, Department Communication and its portfolio committee and department of labour also need to play a role to ensure that labour laws to get applied throughout the industry, while Trade and Industry, Arts and Culture also need to all play their part.
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