SABC staffers have not been paid, with the cash-strapped and struggling South African public broadcaster that blames a bank that it's not naming for a "technical error", saying SABC workers will be paid today.
Multiple SABC staffers complained that they haven't been paid at the end of January, after the SABC told parliament in late-2018 that by the end of February some SABC staffers won't be paid and that by the end of March no SABC staffers will be paid as the commercially insolvent SABC hovers on the edge of a financial cliff.
The trade union Bemawu said it's aware of the dire situation of staffers who have not been paid and is urgently seeking answers from the SABC.
The SABC in a statement on early Tuesday morning said the SABC "would like to put it on record that the technical error experienced this morning in the payment of staff salaries was due to problems experienced by the financial institution".
"The SABC has been assured that the technical error will be resolved in a matter of hours and staff will still be paid today," said Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson.
In a telephone interview on SABC2's Morning Live on Tuesday, Leanne Manas asked Neo Momodu about the non-payment with Neo Momodu who blamed it on a "bank glitch".
Leanne Manas asked Neo Momodu whether the dreaded SABC "Day Zero" has arrived.
The minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams is meanwhile being criticised for not doing enough to secure another government bail-out of R3 billion for the struggling SABC.
"Is there still money available at the SABC or is this the day people had been dreading?" Leanne Manas asked.
Neo Momodu said "We woke up this morning and found out that our staff had not been paid. We have been told that there is a technical error at the bank. It's got nothing to do with Day Zero. The glitch is not from the SABC."
"We have been assured that staff will be paid on the 29th as has always been the case. Payment has been made by the SABC to the banks."
"I'm telling you that the speculation and the false reports are not true. We as the SABC are saying that staff will be paid today. There is a technical error that has nothing to do with the SABC."
"It's a fault from the bank's side which we are assured will be sorted out and staff will be paid today," said Neo Momodu.
The SABC didn't identify the bank, but Nedbank in a statement said the payment of SABC staff salaries was "impacted due to the payment validation processes put in place between the SABC and Nedbank."
"This has now been finalised and salaries will be paid to SABC staff this afternoon, 29 January."
In a statement later on Tuesday at 11:38am the SABC said "The SABC would like to advise that the financial institution has revolved the technical error and salaries are being paid".
"The SABC would like to thank its employees for their patience, support and apologise for any inconvenience caused, whilst the SABC was addressing the matter with the financial institution".
