The SABC's new CEO Lulama Mokhobo made her very first appearance in parliament presenting the SABC's new 3 year Corporate Plan, while boldly stating that the bloated public broadcaster won't be getting rid of workers - "in fact I'm going to ban the word retrenchment," Lulama Mokhobo said.
As the top executive in charge of leading the beleaguered South African public broadcaster out of a morass of corruption, financial mismanagement, executive infighting and management malaise, Lulama Mokhobo said workers won't be fired.
When the SABC got a R1,4 billion bail-out in 2009 in the form of a loan-guarantee from government through Nedbank, the SABC agreed to trim the public broadcaster's ballooning personnel number with job cuts. Job cuts were also part of the SABC's Turnaround Strategy and a target in that plan. In 2011 the SABC admitted to parliament that the SABC has failed to reduce the head count at the public broadcaster as it said it would.
Now, although still employing too many people, jobs at the SABC are safer, with personnel who will be moved around to different and new divisions instead of being let go.
Although the SABC's budget is overstretched, Lulama Mokhobo told parliament that the SABC remains committed to realigning its head count but will retain jobs by reassigning personnel.
Lulama Mokhobo told parliament that tight control will be implemented over personnel numbers at the SABC. Vacancies would only be filled if appointments can be justified. The remuneration budget would be locked at R1,9 billion. Overtime and leave liabilities will also be reduced. Overtime will be abolished by the end of the year.
The SABC still has to appoint a permanent new chief technology officer.
Lulama Mokhobo told parliament that the SABC lost ground over the past few years due to the myriad of problems which beset the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
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