The SABC admits that the South African public broadcaster should have been more hands-on earlier and should have known sooner that the imploded, high-risk Uselwa production was facing trouble, with the shuttered show that has now been taken over by Stained Glass Pictures while the SABC has no footage to show for the millions it has already spent.
The SABC now says two SABC staffers are facing disciplinary action for not having done enough oversight on the NCA Productions show that dramatically imploded in mid-June when production on the over R4 million show abruptly shut down with just R13.65 left in the bank and the cast and crew who revolved after they haven't been paid.
Production on Uselwa, a new drama series for SABC1 that was filmed at Shakaland in Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, imploded when line producer Megan Firth was asked to resign and executive producer Mkhomazi Mashinini faced revolt from the over 80 cast and crew over gross mismanagement.
The SABC asked Stained Glass Pictures, the production company behind the KwaMashu set Uzalo on SABC1 to take over and save the show.
Last week Stained Glass Pictures shut down production completely on Uzalo over the commercially insolvent SABC's non-payment to producers of money owed for shows. Production on Uzalo resumed on Monday after promises by the SABC to pay some of the outstanding money due, but Uselwa remains in limbo.
Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that "NCA Productions was part of those that was identified as an emerging producer. This was the first time that the producer was producing a drama series and we do know that these type of productions do become high risk."
"The SABC does have a responsibility to play an oversight role but also has got to be mindful of the fact that this is an independent production and has got to be run in that way. In this case we do believe that the SABC should have picked it up a little bit earlier."
"As a high risk project the SABC should have been more focused on how the funds are being dispersed. By the time the SABC team that was supposed to be on site reported the problem to us, I think there was R13 left in the bank and therefore the whole thing imploded," said Nomsa Philiso.
"These two employees have since been taken to task and are facing disciplinary action because we do believe that they could have done better."
"We have since exercised a take-over clause, which allows us to then pass this on to another production house that will save the production. We have also interviewed the cast members to ascertain exactly what has gone wrong because there were a lot of allegations."
"On 17 August we have dispensed R600 000 which will be paid by Stained Glass Pictures to some of the cast and crew members, and the other R600 000 is also being paid, it is however waiting for the people to produce invoices and proof so that there can be a paper trail."
"At this stage the SABC does not have any footage because the crew and the directors have held on to it in exchange for their wages. So once we've paid them we will then when we get the footage see how far that is and then we can take it to the next level," said Nomsa Philiso.
