by Thinus Ferreira
South Africa's cash-strapped SABC has splurged R1.1 million for 100 bulletproof vests ranging from medium to extra extra large for staff in the embattled public broadcaster's SABC News division, and paid R54 million between April and October to independent contractors.
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's minister of communications and digital technologies, revealed that the financially struggling public broadcaster bought 100 bulletproof vests for SABC News staff, in response to a question from the IFP member of parliament Liezl van der Merwe.
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams writes that "The signed business case was received by supply chain management on 9 March 2018. This is a date in which vests were deemed necessary equipment for staff in the SABC News division".
The SABC bought bulletproof vests ranging from R9 305 for medium (M) to R10 978 for extra extra large (XXL) and bought 25 medium bulletproof vests, 25 large bulletproof vests, 25 extra large bulletproof vests, as well as 25 extra extra large bulletproof vests for a total of R1,153 million.
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams said that the bulletproof vests "are to be distributed equitably to all SABC News offices and not assigned to individual reporters".
Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams also revealed that the SABC that wants to retrench hundreds of workers, spent R58.4 million on independent contractors during April to October this year.
"During the hard lockdown period, journalists were complemented by the independent contractors, and this is the period that more Covid-19 cases were reported in the SABC News division, and freelancers were utilised."
"The nature of the SABC News operation is such that services of independent contractors are indispensable."
