As SABC workers went on strike on Thursday morning, another meeting was arranged for later on Thursday between trade unions and SABC management to try and broker a deal - this time with independent mediator Ibrahim Patel.
On Thursday morning Morning Live on SABC2 and SABC News (DStv 404) became the first casualty with missing on-air talent and some unknown replacements as SABC journalists and news readers joined the strike.
More on-air mistakes than usual were quickly evident on the SABC's channels and SABC News.
The rolling strike action saw a large number of SABC workers join the call for a stay-away, as well as public protests by workers outside the SABC's Auckland Parkhead quarters in Johannesburg blocking Artillery Road, in Durban, and also outside the SABC's Greenpoint building in Cape Town.
The strike action is inflicting more damage on the severely battered SABC, already struggling to get South Africans to support it and to pay their SABC TV licences.
On Thursday the public protest by striking SABC workers disrupted traffic outside the SABC in Auckland Park.
Angry SABC staffers countrywide - in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban held up banners reading: "0% increase? Where are the money?", "SABC bosses = millions; staff = 0" and "Pay your
Other banners read: "SABC = Animal Farm", "0% means I can't afford a real sign" and "No to 0%".
The SABC on Thursday threatened to get an interdict to block the strike from continuing.
In an internal memo to workers on Thursday that the SABC marked as an "urgent notice" the SABC claimed that the strike was illegal because trade unions failed to "follow proper procedures".
"The SABC management is concerned that you have all chosen to participate in an unprotected strike action led by Bemawu."
"Bemawu was not party to conciliation proceedings which were scheduled for 18 October 2017 and neither did Bemawu lodge an application to be joined as a party in those proceeding."
SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told SABC News on Thursday that striking workers will face disciplinary hearings and that the strike is unprotected - despite the CCMA telling Bemawu and the CWU in a written notice that the strike is protected.
"We said to Bemawu we believe the procedure they used to go on strike was not properly done. Therefore the strike is unprotected," said Kaizer Kganyago.
He said that the public protests of SABC staffers at Auckland Park headquarters and elsewhere is also unprotected since SABC staffers didn't follow the right procedure.
The SABC that is once again hovering on the brink of financial collapse without a cash-injection of R3 billion from the government, is "offering" staffers a 0% pay increase.
SABC staffers demand a 10% pay hike - far higher than South Africa's 6% inflation. SABC staffers also demand a guarantee of a bonus 13th salary check in December despite the non-performing SABC posting a loss of R977 million.
The SABC has been plagued by bad management, bad managerial decisions and upheaval at top executive and board level, with the government's Special Investigative Unit (SIU) currently conducting a wide-ranging probe into corruption, mismanagement and several dodgy contracts at the public broadcaster stretching back several years.
Earlier this week Hannes du Buisson, Bemawu president told Radio 702 that when the strike happens "the SABC would most probably be able to most probably broadcast all of the repeats from a hundreds years ago that the public has seen a thousands times. Whether the SABC would be able to deliver news and current affairs is a different thing".
The SABC in a statement early Wednesday evening said the public broadcaster found it "regrettable to note that Bemawu members have decided to proceed with their strike action" and that it is "important to note that the principle of no work, no pay will apply".
"The SABC board and management reiterates its commitment that programmes on radio and TV will be transmitted as planned".
