Friday, 20 June 2008

Let's fix OUR SABC

The Minister of Communications, Ms Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburri has requested BEMAWU to make a submission regarding issues prevailing at the SABC. Our submission must reflect on:-

- Administrative problems and challenges,
- Management problems,
- Governance relations and challenges

The aim is to create a turn-around strategy for the SABC.

Now is the time to change things and to fix the problems we experience within the SABC.

Kindly mail or fax your contribution as soon as possible or use the comment link hereunder. Also inform other staff and members to send their submissions as soon as possible.

Mail - headoffice@bemawu.org.za
Fax 0866715585

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Administrative problems:- The new SAP system is very frustrating. One has absolutely no control over anything. Once a requisition has been released, you don't know where it goes from there. And it takes forever to receive orders. We also get the feeling that the people in the finance department is seen as untouchable and taking no responsibility for anything. But they are protected and seen as the most important people in the SABC, instead of being seen as support staff.
Red tape in general is a huge problem, as line managers must approve things, then the GM's must approve it, then the Accountants must approve, then Divisional HR must approve, then Corporate HR must approve and so on and so on. A never ending story.

2. Management problems:- Managers, who are not always capable, are appointed and they have no idea how to do their job. That results in 'nothing gets done'. Or managers are to scared to take decisions, as that will cause them to be unpopular with the rest of management. They are not prepared to stand up for their staff and fight their fists off to see that justice is been done. They all aspire to be moved to the next higher managerial position. They also expect the utmost loyalty and honesty from their staff, but they don't give that same loyalty and honesty back to their staff. Some also feel threatened by staff reporting to them, as some of the staff has much better qualifications than they have.

Anonymous said...

The SABC is over regulated and over audited. Internal audit and Industrial Relations has draconian powers and they act like policeman. For the smallest problem the are involved and almost without exception disciplinary action will be instituted against the employee involved, whislt most serious issues like the Sishlali, Gaboo and Rapeti cases drgas on for years without action taken against them. The internal audit department think they are cops but then they mess up cases like the Lesedi case.
The fact that there is such a overregulated environment and employees are investigated by internal audit and the IR department for anything and everything, everybody in the organisation is too scared to take decisions as they fear it may be the wrong decision and then they get fired. So nothing gets done.

One individual in the IR department in particular is a huge problem as he can only speak on word "fire". He has never heard of progressive discipline. He is also dictating to disciplinary panels what the outcome of hearings must be. So you have zero chance when you are charged. You get dismissed and then the SABC settles at the court by paying the individual some money. They act like Gestapo in that department and he thinks he is the general. There is a culture of fear in the company.

Anonymous said...

There are too many chiefs, and not enough indians. No one takes accountability for anything, and things just seem go round and round, with out any improvement. Staff are generally de-motivated, and the fat cats just get "fatter". The wastage of funds (for the likes of unnecessary international and local travel - the over catering and waste of food and drink - the promotional goods and gifts that land up with staff instead the clients (and they don't just take one, they take multiple). It seems that ubuntu is alive and well at the SABC. If we are to be the national broadcaster, surely we all need to take responsibility for this and rather use this money for better programming, and not for the benefit of staff?

Anonymous said...

The problem starts with the Board. The lack credibility and respect. They see their function as operational as board members are more at the SABC as with their real jobs. They off course get paid for every meeting they attend so they attend more and more meetings. They sit on all sorts of committees negotiating deals on behalf of the SABC which is so operational. They involve themselves with SAFM day-to-day operations, which has absolutely nothing to do with them. Some board members has interests in the broadcasting world and some has clear and direct polital interests in their management of the SABC affairs. How ridicilous in any event can it be that the leader of the ruling political party appoints the Board of the public broadcaster? Should the public not appoint the board of the public broadcaster? The board has political agendas. Why? Because any board with genuine and a honourable agenda would have THANKED, not SUSPENDED it's GCEO for taking action against Snuki (a.k.a His Master's Voice)for leaking confidential corporate documents (which he admitted to) to outside third parties. What does this board do? We are now at suspension number 3!!!! All with your TV Lisence money which the SABC sue you for and blacklist you for if you don't pay it.

Mkonza, the chairperson has not the slightest idea of how to run a very simple bussiness, like the MDDA. She was the chairperson of the Board of the MDDA, an organisation aimed at setting up partnerships between the Government and major print and broadcasting companies to assist in developing community and small commercial media in South Africa (which media will by nature of the partnership and given where their funding comes from be another Master's Voice). She received funds from government and SABC inter alia, and then allocate it to the radio stations and newspapers. Pretty simple - if you receive R10,00 you can only spent the R10,00. Not Mkonza! She has overspent several millions in the 2007 financial year! She then received a qaulified audit report where she is severely critisized for exactly what she is supposed to do at the SABC - her strategic role. The Auditor General said in his report that her strategic objectives was not aligned to a budget and measurable outcomes!!!

Fancy words for gross mismanagement of public funds!

Go to the MDDA Website and download their financial statements. It's there in black and white.

How EVER can she be fit and competent to oversee a mulit billion rand public company like the SABC if she was not aoble to run a R20m bussiness?

She has been found to be dishonest by the High Court of South Africa, but still there is no intervention from Government? Why not? Because our outgoing president still has a political purpose for her? At the expense of the country and us SABC employees?

We should call on all TV Lisence payers to stop paying their TV lisences. We should also call on all the advertiser to stop advertising with the SABC untill this board has been removed. With no operating cash the SABC will come to a grinding halt within days.

Anonymous said...

Dear Anonymous (from Saturday 21 June)

I just love your last paragraph.
If the SABC receives NO operating cash, do you still expect to receive your salary at the end of the month and any proposed increases?? Why would you want the SABC to come to a "grinding halt" anyway? If it's so important to you, just withdraw your labour in protest and resign.

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