SABC has temporarily suspended its massive retrenchment plan as its debt burden grows and remains on course to be unable to pay all staff salaries by the end of February.

The embattled South African public broadcaster has temporarily suspended its massive retrenchment plan despite the SABC being on course to be unable to pay some staff salaries by the end of February and no staff salaries by the end of March as its massive debt burden keeps growing.

BusinessDay Monday reported that the broadcaster's retrenchment process was suspended, after which the SABC issued a press statement saying that the SABC "has noted with concern the inaccurate headline in the Business Day newspaper giving the impression that the SABC board recently made a pronouncement to suspend the section 189 of the process".

"This is misleading as the resignations of the four board members in November 2018 rendered the current board inquorate and unable to meet to take decisions. The SABC board has therefore not met since it became inquorate in November 2018".

"The SABC would like to reiterate and reaffirm what management communicated to staff and organised labour at the end of 2018 and that is, the envisaged process in terms of section 189 has been held in abeyance until further notice. This is still the case and to date, no decision to the contrary has been made."

"The SABC continues to engage relevant stakeholders on various matters affecting the corporation and management is working to find solutions for the benefit of the SABC, its employees and the South African public."

In late-2018 the SABC announced job cuts with a retrenchment plan that would see up to 981 SABC staffers getting fired - a third of the entire full-time workforce - as well as 1 200 of the 2 400 freelancers being let go by February 2019.

The SABC hovering on the edge of a financial precipice is desperate for another R3 billion cash-infusion in the form of another bailout like the government-guaranteed loan the SABC received during its previous financial crisis in 2011.

Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, South Africa's current minister of communications, who said she isn't willing to engage with the current SABC board, is being criticised for not doing much to try and solve the SABC's financial problems.

Neo Momodu told Business Day that "The SABC's dire financial situation is a matter of public record. Monies owed to creditors are steadily climbing, however, the SABC has worked out a payment plan in consultation with the relevant creditors for the outstanding payments."