The new minister of communications Yunis Carrim and the deputy minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams met with the SABC management, SABC board, trade unions and SABC staff to talk about the public broadcaster's long-delayed digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration process, the SABC's turnaround strategy and critical issues preventing the SABC from moving forward.
"We looked at the need of the filling of critical positions at senior management level and some of the challenges around that," said Yunis Carrim.
"We will be back here in two weeks to take things further. We've set up a joint technical task team without interfering with the operational autonomy of the SABC. We want to help, as a shareholder to assist the SABC to be the fully functioning, effective, public broadcaster it needs to be, and this country so desperately needs," said Yunis Carrim.
"The SABC board and management agreed with us that we need to settle outstanding matters related to digital terrestrial broadcasting migration, including the set-top box issues, so that the project is expediously implemented in all our interests. It was also agreed that challenges in filling senior management posts will be addressed urgently."
"It's very clear that the things that have been delaying our progress he is taking very seriously and is taking them rapidly, in particular matters relating around digital terrestrial television (DTT and the roll-out of DTT and providing appropriate oversight on implementation," said Lulama Mokhobo, the SABC's CEO.
"[He's looking at] the matter of the SABC's chief operating officer (COO), we have had a litigant that position back for a long time; and also looking in general, how do we bring the SABC to where it should be. How do we lift it to where it should be? We are very excited," said Lulama Mokhobo. "It's going to be business unusual at the SABC under his tenure."
"We are determined to play our full role in turning the SABC around," said Ellen Tshabalala, the SABC board chairperson.
The department of communications will be back at the SABC in two weeks.
