by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster has been forced to yet again start an internal investigation following programming pay-to-play bribery claims, with several producers who have told the SABC CEO Madoda Mxakwe that a TV division execs "cabal" are allegedly running an extortion racket demanding to be paid kickbacks for awarding production contracts to friends, families and associate producers who then made mediocre content.
Gugu Ntuli, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query that "The SABC can confirm that the matter is being addressed in accordance with the SABC's internal whistleblower processes and relevant policies".
Numerous allegations of SABC execs demanding bribes and taking kickbacks in return for handing out programming commissions for content have surfaced in the past, with the latest allegation, implicating three specific SABC executives, coming from several producers who directly complained about this to the SABC CEO, as well as the SABC's forensic boss Thami Zikode and Mojaki Mosia, the broadcaster's head of human capital resources.
In one of the letters of complaint, a producer writes and says "I represent the plight of black producers who've been doing business with the SABC for many years".
"As leaders, are you aware of corruption taking place in the television department? There is a cabal that's destroying the SABC. The cabal gets kickbacks and bribes from the producers they select. Check their lifestyle. You'll be shocked at the houses they own and the cars they drive."
"That's why most black producers don't get work at the SABC. The mafia protects each other and they always push out black professionals and producers. All the content divisions at the SABC are run by them. Why?"
"How does the SABC allow a minority t decide on the content of our own people? What do they know about the real stories told in rural areas, hostels and townships? Yet, the same people are given positions to decide on the stories that we send to the SABC. Investigate this corruption taking place in the television department."
