''And the movie never ends, it goes on and on and on and on ...''
I'm not cynical, jaded, negative or pessimistic. I'm a journalist and having covered hard news for years at newspapers it's just sometimes frustrating having to cover the same (old) story, seeing (new) people making the same mistakes, behaving in the same way, without the story - the narrative of real-life - actually ever advancing. But that's life.
The ''new'' acting group CEO of the SABC, Phil Molefe, met with independent television producers today. ''In the fruitful meeting, the two parties agreed to work together on improving communication that will strengthen both the sector and the public broadcaster,'' says the SABC in a late-issued press statement. And yet ...
... it feels exactly like when the SABC's group CEO Solly Mokoetle met with independent television producers at the beginning of 2010, and before Solly Mokoetle when his predecessor, acting group CEO at the SABC Gab Mampone met with independent television producers. Its the very same story; different bold type names.
It's exactly the same sounds, coming from the exact same position of power, echoing the exact same hollow sentiment, resulting in the exact same non-communication, non-support, and non-committal attitude to address structural problems in the very fabric of the macrocosm of how the SABC commissions programming and deals with producers and production companies in South Africa.
Let me be then (cynically?) looking at what will most probably follow next: The South African production sector (rightly, justly) will accuse or voice concern a while from now that the SABC isn't keeping to Phil Molefe's promise today when he said ''I am committed to meeting monthly with the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO)''. That's of course if, indeed Phil is still around in a year's time. (By the way, sad Solly sad the same during his first meeting and never got back to monthly meetings with the IPO ever again.)
''We look forward to building a meaningful and open relationship,'' said Phil Molefe today regarding the severely fractious and strained relationship between the SABC and South Africa's decimated independent television production sector that's lost 17 000 jobs in just the past two years.
And yes. I wish it's true. I really hope it can be true. But I've written and done this story many, many times before. And unlike Journey's great song, sometimes it's just really, really difficult. To not stop believing.
