Parliament told of big problems at the SABC during listening session with unions; new SABC board has shockingly one had one meeting with unions since appointment of the latest SABC board.

Parliament's portfolio committee on communications responsible for oversight of the SABC on Friday had a listening sessions with trade unions at the troubled South African public broadcaster and says it is concerned about a litany of very serious problems and issues it was told about from SABC staffers.

From the meeting held in Sandton it emerged that there's big problems at the SABC that apparently isn't following policy when firing SABC staffers, major issues around the use of freelancers, and other problems.

Shockingly the new SABC board has had only one meeting with unions since they were appointed.

The committee met and listened to The Communication Workers' Union of South Africa (CWU), the Media Workers' Association of SA (Mwasa) and the Broadcasting‚ Electronic Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) who all made presentations.

Humphrey Maxegwana, chairperson of the committee says "of major concern" to the committee is allegations of little interaction between the new SABC board and staffers and a "lack of information that trickles down to employees".

"It is concerning that a sub-committee of the board has had only one meeting with unions in order to find solutions to challenges faced by employees since appointment of the new board," says Humphrey Maxegwana.

The committee is also concerned about the lack of adequate progress of changing "the problematic organisational culture that has taken root within the previous SABC board and management".

Freelance workers is another huge concern  brought up by unions at the meeting.

"Also, the matter of the 26 employees that were fired as well as allegations of medical aid fraud will be raised and a detailed report must be received from management," said Humphrey Maxegwana.

Democratic Alliance reveals MultiChoice is refusing to release its full internal report on the controversial 'Gupta news' ANN7 channel despite PAIA application; MultiChoice says the DA has not shown that it has a right to access the report under that Act.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) political party says Naspers' satellite pay-TV business, MultiChoice has this month refused the DA's request for the full report on its payments to the controversial "Gupta News" ANN7 (DStv 405) channel and that MultiChoice says it doesn't recognise "public interest as a right.

MultiChoice told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry asking about the Democratic Alliance's statement, that the DA's comments are misleading.

It has also come to light that the meeting of the portfolio committee on communications scheduled in parliament for this week that was supposed to be attended by MultiChoice, ANN7 and the broadcasting regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa), has been postponed.

Humphrey Maxegwana, chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications, said that the meeting to hear from MultiChoice, ANN7 and Icasa what is going on, had been postponed without giving any reason as to why this week's meeting was abruptly cancelled.

Phumzile Van Damme, a Democratic Alliance member of parliament (MP) on Wednesday said that MultiChoice has refused the DA's request for the full report on its payments to ANN7 allegedly to influence government policy on digital terrestrial television (DTT) migration in its favour.

"MultiChoice states that it is under no legal obligation to make the report public, and furthermore does not recognise 'public interest' as a recognised right," said Phumzile Van Damme.

"Last month the DA submitted an application to MultiChoice in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the full report compiled by its Audit and Risk Committee, to be made public, following MultiChoice's internal investigation into payments to the Gupta-linked ANN7.

"The press conference in January announcing its findings was scant on detail, vaguely admitting 'mistakes were made', and holding no-one accountable," said Phumzile Van Damme.

"No information was provided for the reasons for the payments to ANN7 first at R25 million, increased to R50 million and then R141 million."

"The DA believes that the public needs to know the full truth about the dealings between MultiChoice, ANN7 and indeed the SABC, and whether MultiChoice, a private company, engaged in 'policy capture' by paying inducements to influence government policy in its favour."

The matter is currently before Icasa's Complaints and Compliance Committee.

MultiChoice told TVwithThinus that "The DA's comments in regards to the PAIA application are misleading".

"MultiChoice has declined to provide access to documentation requested by the DA under PAIA. It has done so because the DA has not shown that it has a right to access the report under that Act. The documentation has also been refused on various other grounds, including that the documentation also contains protected commercial information and is legally privileged."

MultiChoice says the Democratic Alliance's application "is without merit".

Meanwhile Phumzile Van Damme also revealed that MultiChoice's refusal to make its full interla report into ANN7 public, coincides with the cancellation of a scheduled meeting in parliament this week that was to be attended by MultiChoice and ANN7 executives, as well as Icasa.

"When requesting the reason for the cancellation of the meeting, my colleague Veronica van Dyk, was told by the chairperson of the committee, Humphrey Maxegwana, that changes were made to the programme and the meeting would be rescheduled in the near future," said Phumzile Van Damme.

"The Democratic Alliance objected to this, as all parties in the committee, including the ABC, has agreed that the matter relating to MultiChoice was urgent, and needed to be dealt with as a priority. A meeting where a parliamentary inquiry, as ordered by the Speaker's office in August 2017, into Faith Muthambi's role in State Capture was due to be discussed, also mysteriously disappeared from the committee's programme."

"It therefore seems that all Gupta-related meetings are being kicked for touch and delayed in perpetuity as is sometimes teh case when dealing with uncomfortable matters at the communications committee. This has no doubt been exacerbated by reports today revealing the direct involvement of former president Jacob Zuma in the setting up of ANN7," said Phumzile Van Damme.

"The Democratic Alliance will continue to be relentless in its push for both meetings to be held, and inquiries conducted. Jacob Zuma must also be subpoenaed to appear before parliament to explain his role in the saga".

"The DA will not rest until the full truth is revealed about both policy and State Capture involving the department of communications, its entities, and the industry it regulates".

SABC staff must now request approval for all international trips from the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, and say how it will benefit the government.

Shocked SABC staff were informed by email today (Tuesday) that effective immediately, they have to apply for approval for all international trips from the minister of communications, Faith Muthambi, and will have to explain how it will benefit the government and report back within 7 days after any international trip.

In the notice also sent to TVwithThinus, SABC staff were told that they must now "submit formal requests for all international trips to the minister for approval effective immediately".

SABC staffers who want to travel internationally must motivate their trip to the minister of communications and must explain why it will be good for South Africa and the South African government.

SABC staff are told in no uncertain terms that "no approval or bookings can be confirmed nor issued" if it hasn't been approved by the minister.

They will also have to report back, if they've traveled abroad, within 7 days.

"The SABC is already not in a position to react quickly to big events because of too many 'gatekeepers' and the computer system through which all financial transactions and also money for shoots and productions needs to be pushed and approved. And now this," said a source.

Also on Tuesday, parliament's portfolio committee of communications, tasked with oversight of the beleaguered South African public broadcaster, decided that a full-scale parliamentary inquiry into the ongoing litany of SABC crises was necessary and urgent.

Humphrey Maxegwana, chairperson of the committee and other members, expressed support for such an inquiry and said that a request would be dispatched to parliament's chair of chairs, Cedric Frolick.

ANC announces that Humphrey Maxegwana is taking over from Joyce Moloi-Moropa as chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

Humphrey Maxegwana is replacing and taking over from Joyce Moloi-Moropa as the chairperson of parliament's portfolio committee on communications.

Parliament's portfolio committee, comprising members of parliament (MP's) from the various political parties in South Africa, are tasked with a governmental oversight role over parastatal and state entities ranging from the broadcasting regulator, Icasa, to the South African public broadcaster, the SABC.

The ANC political party announced that the communications committee will now be chaired by Humphrey Maxegwana, who takes over from Joyce Moloi-Moropa who decided to quit at the end of 2015 and resigned.

Humphrey Maxegwana's move is part of several portfolio committee chairperson changes in parliament that the ANC announced on Thursday.