The SABC is a fat cat money pit – here’s why

The SABC’s managers and supervisors far outnumber “general” workers and that is one of the reasons that the average salary at the public broadcaster is almost R800 000 a year.

As the strike by employees officially began yesterday – against pending retrenchments – it emerged that the bulk of the SABC’s personnel go from supervisors up to senior executive level.

The corporation’s 2020 annual report reveals that its wage bill is R2.357 billion, which goes on a total staff complement (for 2020) of 2 979 people. This means that the average cost-to-company of each employee is R791 000 a year, or R66 000 a month.

Together, the top management and senior management who formed the executive together with middle and junior managements and supervisors at 2 550 constituted 85% of the SABC total workforce of 2 979, while “general employees” comprised just 15%, or 429.

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With so many managers running the corporation, the SABC should be the most intensively managed organisation in the country. It means that there was an average of six managers for every employee.

But middle managers, junior managers and supervisors rejected any suggestion that they earned huge salaries as indicated in the annual report.

Those were mainly national and regional editors and executive producers who did not regard themselves as part of the senior management but supervisors, who were also affected by the pending retrenchments.

“It is incorrect to lump up all salaries together and taking the average because that does not reflect the true picture of the situation,” said an employee.

They highlighted the fact that the highest amount from personnel expenditure went to the top management and board members.

SABC group chief executive officer Madoda Mxakwe earned R5.4 million, chief financial officer Yolande van Biljon got R3.2 million and chief operating officer Ian Plaatjies received R1.4 million a year.

The board members earned R957 000 for chair Bongumusa Makhathini and R290 000 for deputy chair Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi, who earned the lowest, and between R497 000 and R403 000 for other board members.

The nationwide strike which began on Friday ignored the SABC board’s decision to suspend the Section 189 retrenchment notices for a week. They picketed in Auckland Park and at SABC regional offices throughout the country.

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) presented a memorandum of demands to Mxakwe calling, among others, for scraping of all letters of retrenchment sent to workers.

Mxakwe confirmed that the strike was legal and that gave relief to many employees who feared that the strike could be illegal and therefore they could face dismissal. The strike was sparked by the impending retrenchment of 400 employees.

In a statement, the SABC board said: “The SABC is committed to engaging with stake holders as it continues to make the corporation financially sustainable.”

CWU general secretary Aubrey Tshabalala rejected the seven-day temporary suspension announced by the board and described it as “Christmas party and a publicity stunt by the SABC”.

The strike was supported by union federation Cosatu, the SA Communist Party and the ANC Youth League. The ANC’s national spokesmen Pule Mabe and Dakota Legoete also took part. The Economic Freedom Fighters and the Congress of the People also participated in the action.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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