Angry SABC staffers at the struggling South African public broadcaster in a strongly-worded letter are demanding the immediate suspension and removal of several alleged executives who are so-called "Hlaudi enforcers" like acting news boss Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko and for an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as acting COO.
SABC staffers on the verge of revolt, want Kenneth Makatees a so-called "enforcer of the SABC's Protest Policy" gone.
Kenneth Makatees recently had a meeting with the president Jacob Zuma, with the presidency that has refused to answer calls for a release of the meeting's transcripts.
SABC staffers are furious and are warning the public broadcaster that protected strike action is planned at the public broadcaster.
The SABC, deep in the red and having posted a R977 million loss, is mired in mismanagement, sits with no board and only acting executives in all of its top positions.
The trade unions Bemawu and the Communication Workers' Union (CWU) in a joint letter of demand on Friday to the SABC's top bosses, warned the SABC management that most of the enforcers who supported the controversial and famously matricless executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng who instituted illegal SABC news censorship and the subsequent dismissal of the SABC journalists opposed to it - are still employed at the broadcaster.
SABC staffers say for these alleged enablers who are still employed "at lucrative salaries at the SABC" it is "business as usual, and they have escaped justice".
SABC staffers say they've been subjected to "threats and fear, unilateral restructurings, change of work practices and shift roster, appointments without advertising positions and a zero-percentage increase".
"In the meantime, the SABC is slipping deeper into insolvency, to the extent that it endangers the employment, well-being, and health of our members.
SABC staffers are warning that "it is our view the SABC is still captured by politicians – more than ever – and we cannot sit back to allow this to happen".
The trade unions in their letter say they demand "the immediate appointment of the SABC board already selected and recommended by parliament, and the immediate suspension of all the enforcers of the Protest Policy which resulted in the dismissal of the SABC8, to wit, Kenneth Makatees, Nothando Maseko, Nyana Molete and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane."
The trade unions in the joint letter says it the immediate suspension of "all the unprocedurally appointed managers and/or people who supported the system to either enforce the Protest Policy, contributed to the poor financial position of the SABC," and those who "neglect to act when policies and procedures were not followed, and did not report irregularities when they became aware of same".
According to Bemawu and the CWU in their letter this includes Tshifhiwa Mulaudzi, the SABC's executive for sales & marketing; Abdul Matthee who Bemawu and the CWU claim is responsible for millions of rand in losses due to the failures of the Landmark system, as well as Keobokile Mosweu, Sizwe Vilikazi, Bessie Tugwana, Tseliso Ralitabo, Ayanda Mkhize and Theresa Geldenhuys.
Staffers demand the immediate suspension of "the status quo in respect of structural changes, work patterns and hours of employees, in particular in News, until a new board is in office, and employees be properly consulted."
They also want "the full and unconditional restoration of the merger between Henley Studios and News, with no change in reporting lines and work practices, without full and proper consultation with employees, and only after a new Board has been appointed."
Other demands include "a salary increase of 10% across the board, backdated to April 2017" and "the appointment of all workers previously on fixed term contracts at News, whose contracts has not been renewed as fixed term, but as freelance contracts, or not at all.
SABC staffers are also calling for "the removal of Kenneth Makatees as acting head of news, to be replaced by a non-enforcer nominated from the competent news staff in Johannesburg," and the "redeployment of Themba Mathonsi to a different department".
Bemawu and the CWU say SABC staffers are "tired of his Gestapo style of management".
SABC staffers are further demanding a "full investigation regarding the protest policy and the report should be made public; an investigation at SABC Sport in respect of the non-renewal of contracts; the redeployment of admin people in operational roles under the disguise to develop them; and the appointment of freelancers to act in permanent positions".
SABC staff also want an investigation into the appointment of Bessie Tugwana as the acting SABC COO "in particular as she has reached retirement age, and allegations of her employing friends".
Staffers also want "the renewal of the contract of Keobokile Mosweu, an alleged enforcer of Motsoeneng to be investigated and reversed".
Bemawu and the CWU told the SABC's acting CEO Nomsa Philiso that it's giving SABC management 7 days to meet these demands.
"Should these demands not be met in 7 days, excluding the unilateral change to the shift roster of News Staff, from date of this letter, labour will file a dispute and ballot its members to seek a mandate for a protected strike".
