by Thinus Ferreira
Over 2 490 SABC TV Licences for TV sets that belong to the South African government are in arrears which the government isn't paying for, totalling over R35 million, while the rate of South African households who no longer pay has ticked up and increased to 86%.
While neither the South African government nor ordinary citizens still bother to pay an annual SABC TV Licence, the government continues to drag its feet to replace the R265 annual licence fee with some other type of funding to support the public broadcaster.
At its latest appearance before parliament's portfolio committee on communications, the SABC confirmed that for its financial year of 2023/2024, the South African government failed to pay 2 490 SABC TV Licence fees to a value of R35 million.
While the struggling and technically insolvent broadcaster invoiced over R5 billion in SABC TV Licence fees for the financial year, it received a measly R726 million, with fewer South African TV households than ever before who still bother to pay.
According to Yolande van Biljon, SABC chief financial officer, the SABC TV Licence income "remains on a downward trajectory" with the evasion rate which increased from 84% to 86%.
The department of communications and digital technologies is years behind with reform of the system to ensure that the public broadcaster's public broadcasting mandate is fully and functionally funded.
While countries like France have abolished its TV Licence fee system and the United Kingdom is on track to do away with the BBC licence fee by the end of 2027, South Africa's public broadcaster keeps doing the same thing expecting different results.
The SABC keeps issuing licences for new TV sets bought and keeps spending millions annually on debt agencies to try and get people to pay up. Yet, fewer and fewer people do.
Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media query "The SABC can confirm that it is working with
the shareholder to address the outstanding licence fees owed by government
entities".
The shareholder referred to is the department of communications and digital technologies.
Solly Malatsi, minister of communications and digital technologies, has now slammed government departments for not paying their SABC TV Licence fees, noting in a statement that "the culture of non-payment of public services such as TV Licences is unacceptable".
Malatsi says that he has written to deputy president Paul Mashatile "to request urgent intervention in addressing the issue of unpaid TV licence fees by several government departments".
"Government, as a leader in our society, must set the high standard for compliance with legal and financial responsibilities. By ensuring that all government departments pay the TV licenses in full and on time will help support the public broadcaster's financial health."
Malatsi says "It is crucial that we take steps to lessen the burden on the national fiscus by ensuring that the SABC has the resources it needs to fulfil its mandate."
"While the need for a new, credible and effective funding model for the SABC is being prioritised, it remains imperative that all stakeholders, including government departments must pay for services they use."
"This will assist in the transition towards a more sustainable financial model for the SABC, which is critical for the broadcaster to deliver on its core mandate of providing independent and quality broadcasting services to all South Africans."