BREAKING. Neo Momodu out as SABC spokesperson just 7 months after joining; Vuyo Mthembu now taking over.

Neo Momodu is out as the SABC spokesperson just 7 months after joining the struggling South African public broadcaster as the SABC's boss for marketing and corporate affairs, with Vuyo Mthembu - already working inside the SABC - taking over.

Neo Momodu replaced Kaizer Kganyago in mid-August 2018 with immediate effect as the crises-riddled South African public broadcaster's spokesperson after 13 years and became its new spokesperson.

Now she's gone without any explanation as to why and the SABC saying in a terse statement that the broadcaster and Neo Momodu "have parted ways".

"After careful consideration, Neo Momodu has decided to leave the SABC to pursue other interests. Both parties agreed to end the employment relationship amicably."

Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO said the SABC "would like to thank Neo Momodu for her contribution in heading up a critical division of the SABC" and that the SABC "wishes Neo Momodu well in her future endeavours".

Vuyo Mthembu who has been working within the SABC's corporate communications division for a number of years is now the new SABC spokesperson from Friday 13 March.

Disciplinary action for the SABC's top TV and radio news bosses - Nothando Maseko, Sophie Mokoena and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane - over news agency contract and alleged poor performance.

The top SABC News managers Nothando Maseko, Sophie Mokoena and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane got notices of disciplinary hearings over irregular expenditure of millions of rand and allegations of poor performance at the South African public broadcaster.

SundayWorld first reported that Nothando Maseko, the SABC's head of TV news, Sophie Mokoena as the SABC's foreign editor, and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane, the SABC's head of radio news have all been asked to answer over issues ranging from irregular expenditure of R2.5 million regarding the use of a foreign news agency, as well as over alleged poor work performance.

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson said that "The SABC can confirm that the individuals have been subjected to disciplinary processes however, we will not share information nor discuss the merits of the disciplinary cases publicly".

Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane has reportedly decided to jump ship days before her scheduled disciplinary hearing over allegations of poor work performance and her failure to act against someone who was named in a forensic investigation report about the irregular news agency agreement, and apparently applied for early retirement.

What allegedly happened according to the report, is that Sophie Mokoena assigned stories to a new international news agency, Features Story News (FSN), without a contract - something that amounts to irregular expenditure by the SABC. FSN was signed after the SABC's existing contracts with Reuters and AFP had run out.

This landed Sophie Mokoena a disciplinary for alleged failure to adhere to the SABC's procurement policies when signing with foreign news agencies.

Both Nothando Maseko and Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane were apparently charged with alleged poor performance due to their alleged failure to submit operational plans for the year when the SABC's head of news and current affairs, Phathiswa Magopeni, asked them to do so.

Both Nothando Maseko and Sophie Mokoena also allegedly failed to submit their inputs for the SABC's upcoming national election coverage for 2019, leading to additional charges.

SABC3 viewers furious and reacting angrily after SABC abruptly dumps The Bold and the Beautiful weekday soap after years.

SABC3 viewers are just as livid as when Brooke stole Ridge for the 9th time from Taylor, and are reacting after the SABC abruptly dumped the long-running American soap The Bold and the Beautiful since Monday from its schedule.

The SABC that can't and won't pay for The Bold and the Beautiful anymore replaced it with a Democracy Gauge political show at 17:30 on weekdays, and added repeats and rebroadcasts like Taryn and Sharon from 2017 and SABC2's former telenovela Keeping Score to its prime time schedule.

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson, didn't respond to a media enquiry, made multiple times since last week, seeking comment on the programming changes and asking when the decision was taken to remove The Bold and the Beautiful, whether old content will not lead to lower viewership during prime time for the already-struggling channel, and what the new direction is that SABC3 is taking.

The SABC only confirmed on Saturday afternoon in a statement that The Bold and the Beautiful has been canned and would be gone from Monday, after the SABC3 schedule for March that became available in February, showed that the soap was no longer on the schedule from 4 March.

In September 2018 the SABC did a big countrywide publicity blitz with The Bold and the Beautiful star Katherine Kelly Lang that the SABC gave prime placement and massive exposure on a flurry of SABC TV talk and magazine shows as well as SABC radio stations, emphasising the value and importance of the programme to the SABC.

In January Bold from BBL Productions lured 484 067 viewers, just below local magazine show Top Billing, as the 5th most watched show on the channel for the month, excluding four sports broadcasts.

Bold finally getting scrapped from the latest March SABC3 schedule come two years after SABC3 lost Days of Our Lives in September 2017 to rival e.tv.

M-Net (DStv 101) was asked if it's possibly looking into taking over The Bold and the Beautiful and tells TVwithThinus "we always buy the best of the best. In this case it depends whether the show will fit into our current channel strategies and propositions, schedules and budgets".

"SABC3, you took off The Bold and the Beautiful and replaced it with this political garbage? Disgusting!" said Joyce Dembo.

"Wow, The Bold and the Beautiful really not broadcasting on SABC3 anymore. End of an era," said Caeden Govender.

"Hi SABC3. Please call my mother and tell her what y'all did with The Bold and the Beautiful because it's now my duty to look for it," said Kgabo Kganyago.

"Even an entertainment institution like The Bold and the Beautiful can be taken off the air so rapidly for a propaganda show, when just late last year there was a massive marketing drive to cement collaboration with local shows and establish viewership," said Harold Ferwood.

The Bold and the Beautiful is running on EVA (DStv 141) but with episodes that are two years behind SABC3.

@SABC3 u took off the Bold and the beautiful and replaced it with this political garbage? Disgusting!

— Joy Robyn Dembo (@JoyRecruitRite) March 4, 2019

Wow, Bold and the Beautiful really not broadcasting on SABC 3 anymore... End of an era :/

— UnclePhil💤 (@CaedenGovender) March 4, 2019

@SABC3 Hi... Please call my mother and tell her what y'all did with 'bold and the beautiful' because it's now my duty to look for it 😩😥

— kgabo kganyago (@supreme_core) March 4, 2019

Yip, even an entertainment institution like the Bold and the Beautiful can b3 taken off the air so rapidly for a propaganda show, when just late last year there was a massive marketing drive to cement collaboration with local shows and established viewership.

Interesting times.. https://t.co/QzwiFSI5p2

— Harold Ferwood (@Harold_Ferwood) March 5, 2019

No clear answers from the SABC on what's happening with SABC3 from March and shows like The Bold and the Beautiful.

There are still no clear answers from the SABC for South Africa's TV and film industry as to what's happening and planned for the South African public broadcaster's troubled and ratings-challenged SABC3 channel and longtime shows like the America soap The Bold and the Beautiful facing the axe.

SABC3 is not releasing a March schedule 8 days before the month of March starts.

The SABC has also been asked repeatedly when the SABC will be releasing a March schedule, and has been asked what is happening to The Bold and the Beautiful and other programming on the channel from March.

In response Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson on Tuesday told TVwithThinus in a statement only that the SABC's television division "has been tasked with ensuring that all content investments yield positive returns on 3 pillars, namely; license conditions, public mandate and commercial return".

"It is on this basis that all our programmes are being subjected to this assessment readiness of the new fiscal".

South Africa's TV industry is in the dark and being kept in the dark about the future and the programming line-up on SABC3 and doesn't know what the public broadcaster's plan is with the channel.

Earlier this month TVwithThinus reported that it looks very like that The Bold and the Beautiful is getting dumped from SABC3.

The Bold and the Beautiful, produced by Bell-Phillip Television Productions Inc., is the last remaining American soap opera left on the SABC's channels and has remained a very strong performer on SABC1, as well as with its move to SABC3.

If Bold is finally getting scrapped from the latest March SABC3 schedule it will come two years after SABC3 lost Days of Our Lives in September 2017 to rival e.tv.

As previously reported by TVwithThinus and still unchanged, the preliminary SABC3 March schedule shows The Bold and the Beautiful in its 17:30 timeslot ending on Friday, 1 March and a show called Democracy Gauge taking its place from Monday 3 March in the timeslot.

SABC3 is stocking up on rebroadcasts and repeats to pad the channel's schedule, including Taryn and Sharon at 18:00 on weekdays, a rebroadcast of the SABC2 telenovela Keeping Score on weekdays at 18:30; and yet another repeat of these two shows in the mornings at 09:30 and 10:00 from March.

SABC staffers go unpaid as struggling South African public broadcaster blames Nedbank for a 'technical error', says staffers will be paid today.

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".

SABC doesn't have money to pay for covering South Africa's upcoming 2019 national elections - report.

The embattled and commercially insolvent South African public broadcaster doesn't have money to cover the country's upcoming 2019 national elections.

This is according to the newspaper Rapport that on Sunday reported that the SABC doesn't have money for its SABC News division to cover the upcoming national elections in 2019, something that previously cost the embattled broadcaster around R35 million.

The Sunday paper spoke to unnamed SABC management sources, telling Rapport that the out-of-cash SABC needs tens of millions of rands in order to cover the 2019 national elections - in addition to freelance workers.

Ironically the SABC is doing away with freelance staffers. The broadcaster fired all the freelance producers working for SABC News (DStv 404) in 2018 and plans to do away with 1 200 freelance workers as part of its dramatic staff cost-cutting plan that forms part of its latest turn-around strategy.

A source told the newspaper that the SABC needs millions of rands to cover a national election as it had done in the past.

"This includes additional logistical expenses, the cost of distribution of video and sound recordings, technical staff and journalists to physically attend the respective election campaigns and voting points, the vehicles and outside broadcast units and the hiring of facilities."

According to previous SABC annual reports, the South African public broadcaster had to spend R2.4 million alone on connecting the SABC's network to that of the Independent Election Commission's (IEC) computer system in order to get voting results and to report it nationally.

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson, on Sunday told TVwithThinus in response to the report that "The SABC is unwavering in its resolve to meet its public service mandate of delivering compelling news and public affairs programming, including elections in line with its mandate"

The SABC reaches complete financial collapse as the CIPC threatens to shut down or place the insolvent South African public broadcaster under business rescue.

SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu says the South African public broadcaster blames Hlaudi Motsoeneng for the "complete financial and governance collapse" of the SABC as the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) now demands that the commercially insolvent SABC must explain why it's not trading recklessly under insolvent circumstances and that could see it being shut down or placed under business rescue.

The SABC's liabilities are exceeding its assets by R1.8 billion and the SABC has 20 working days to respond to the CIPC.

The SABC is busy putting together a response to the CIPC, but the CIPC could force the SABC to be placed under so-called "business rescue", or to even be shut down given the lack of government help.

President Cyril Ramaphosa and latest minister of communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, have done little to nothing to secure another bailout for the crippled SABC in the form of a government-guaranteed loan.

In the last days of the end of 2018, the jetset minister rather flew off to Vienna to attend an international conference instead of giving all her time and urgent attention to prevent the SABC from collapse before 2019's election year while mass retrenchments are looming at the broadcaster.

Only half of TV production companies and producers were paid in December some of what they're owed by the SABC as debts to producers supplying programming to the broadcaster keep mounting, while the SABC has had to beg the City of Johannesburg not to cut off its electricity which the SABC can no longer afford to pay in full.

From February 2019 the SABC will no longer be able to pay all SABC staff salaries, and from March 2019 no salaries, it told parliament.

The gutted SABC, destroyed by corruption and wasteful and irregular spending like the R27.7 million on the notorious and flopped Thank You SABC Concert that the SABC claimed it wasn't paying for - is limping along with an inquorate board of only four SABC board members.

On Sunday City Press reported that SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu said the SABC's financial implosion is blamed on irregular spending and bad previous management in the form of the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

The newspaper details a litany of forensic cases of the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) into the shocking and shameless looting of SABC finances under the horrific reign of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as former COO and former CEO James Aguma.

"The SABC would like to make it clear that Hlaudi Motsoeneng was the central figure in the complete financial and governance collapse of the corporation which the current executive management is redressing".

The SABC blames Hlaudi Motsoeneng "for the massive damage he has caused" the SABC.

SABC: Better prepared for Black Friday 2018 and increased TV set sales after last year’s TV licence validation server crash.

The SABC says it will be ready and its SABC TV licence department better prepared for Black Friday 2018 to prevent a recurrence of last year where the frustrated retailers across South Africa couldn't sell the TV sets it wanted to and angry customers couldn't buy hugely discounted TV sets after the massive demand caused the SABC's TV licence verification system to collapse.

To buy a TV set in South Africa retailers need to verify an existing SABC TV licence holders's TV holder and add the new TV set to be sold to the existing details, or have a customer take out a new TV licence.

This can however only happen if the SABC's TV licence division is online and working but on Black Friday 2017 the SABC's TV licence validation server collapsed from the overload in validation requests.

The SABC's inability to verify and register new SABC TV licences cost not just the South African public broadcaster dearly which is struggling to add new TV licence fee payers, but also retailers who couldn't make all the sales on the promotion day.

Customers who wanted to buy TV sets couldn't, and South Africa's TV industry also got a knock since the TV sets sold means an increase in the eyeballs watching and an expansion of the existing TV audience.

Last year the SABC said in a statement that its "TV Licence validation server was overwhelmed by the abnormal increase in validation requests from retailers due to the Black Friday deals which resulted in the server timing out between 07:00 and 10:30".

TVwithThinus asked the SABC what steps the public broadcaster has taken to prevent a recurrence of 2018's Black Friday system crash, if it has been planning for the increase in demand that will arise again, if it has been liaising with retailers, and if any pressure tests has been done at the SABC's TV Licence department.

The SABC says "we would like to correct the statement that the SABC system crashed during the 2017 Black Friday".

"The system error experienced within the SABC was as a result of external services which crashed and had an effect on SABC systems. However the retailers were given alternative processes to sell TV sets offline during that time."

"The SABC can confirm that we have been planning for the 2018 Black Friday with the retailers," says Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson.

"These preparations began internally in March 2018 which resulted in the SABC upgrading and configuring its TV Licence system to manage Black Friday volumes."

"Load testing discussions with all major retailers started in August 2018 and is ongoing. Testing exercises continue weekly until mid-November 2018".

The SABC said that a "backup process" was also tested with retailers, "in the event of a blackout of the TV Licence system and or external services that support the SABC".

Competition Commission rules that MultiChoice and the SABC's TV channels contract for SABC News and SABC Encore amounts to a notifiable merger and should be declared.

South Africa's Competition Commission on Friday ruled that the highly-controversial TV channels contract for SABC News (DStv 404) and SABC Encore (DStv 156) between Naspers' pay-TV arm, MultiChoice and the South African public broadcaster constitutes a merger and should be declared as such.

The Competition Commission ruled that the controversial channel distribution agreement between MultiChoice and the SABC amounting to hundreds of millions of rand first signed in 2013 constitutes a notifiable merger, and has ordered MultiChoice and the SABC to register the transaction as a merger or be in breach of South Africa's competition laws.

It recently emerged that MultiChoice allegedly placed pressure on the SABC to, as a prerequisite for signing the deal, back MultiChoice's position on the encryption standard to be used for set-top boxes (STBs) in South Africa's switch from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT).

After the signing of the extremely controversial deal, the SABC paid its controversial famously matricless and now fired former chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng a massive R11 million "signing bonus".

The Competition Commission's ruling comes after the Caxton media group and the public broadcasting and media freedom pressure groups SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) appealed against a ruling of the Competition Appeals Court at the Constitutional Court and won, granting the Competition Commission the right to investigate whether the channel carriage agreement constituted a notifiable merger.

The Competition Commission has now ruled that while the agreement for the TV channels provided by the SABC to MultiChoice doesn't constitute a merger between MultiChoice and the SABC, that MultiChoice's role in influencing the SABC's stance on the government and public policy regarding STB encryption does represent a notifiable merger between Naspers' MultiChoice and the South African public broadcaster.

"The commission will call upon MultiChoice and the SABC to file the transaction in terms of 13A(1) of the Act as a merger," says the Competition Commission.

"If the parties fail to notify the transaction as a merger, the commission will exercise its rights in terms of the Act to refer the matter as a contravention [of the Act]."

"The SABC categorically and unequivocally undertook in favour of MultiChoice not to encrypt all of its channel signals in respect of its free-to-air channels transmitted on its digital TV platform."

"The commission found that the encryption of SABC's free-to-air channels, including STB control, would have enabled new entrants into the market and that the agreement had the effect of protecting MultiChoice's dominance in the pay-TV market."

"In terms of the Competition Act, the ability by one company to materially influence the policy of another company through various legal instruments, including an agreement, constitutes a notifiable merger transaction which must first be approved by competition authorities before it is implemented."

"The reason why the Competition Act requires that such agreements should first be scrutinised by the competition authorities before they are implemented is because they could have a significant impact on the competitive process and raise significant public interest issues, which ought to be investigated by competition authorities."

"In this case, the SABC and MultiChoice failed to seek prior approval of the commission before implementing the agreement."

The Competition Commission has filed a report with this finding with the Competition Tribunal.


SABC 'concerned'
The SABC's spokesperson Neo Momodu on Monday in a statement in response to a written media enquiry from TVwithThinus said that "the SABC has noted with concern the Competition Commission's ruling on the SABC and MultiChoice agreement entered into in July 2013 and which has since expired".

"The SABC has since entered into a new commercial channel supply agreement with MultiChoice which in the SABC's understanding, does not constitute a merger."

"The SABC board is reviewing the Commission's recommendations in relation to the encryption part of the 2013 agreement and will respond appropriately in due course. The SABC remains committed to ensure compliance with applicable competition laws".


MultiChoice says it's not a merger
Joe Heshu, MultiChoice's group executive for corporate affairs didn't respond to a written media enquiry TVwithThinus made on Monday about the ruling.

Joe Heshu told Business Day that "we've noted the recommendation of the Competition Commission".

"Our view remains that the 2013 agreement between MultiChoice and the SABC was not a merger but a standard channel supply agreement."

"We have not been presented with the new facts to which the commission refers, nor the opportunity to refute them. We will make further representations in the process to be conducted before the Competition Tribunal."

BREAKING. Struggling SABC plans to fire up to 981 full-time staffers - or a third of its workforce - in massive restructuring and brutal retrenchment plan, in addition to 1 200 or half of its 2 400 freelance workers also getting the boot.

A terrible Christmas and 2019 await SABC staffers as the struggling South African Broadcasting Corporation, fighting for survival, plans to fire up to 981 of its 3 376 full-time staffers or a whopping third (29.05%) of its total workforce in a brutal retrenchment plan - in addition to 1 200 or essentially half of its 2 400 freelance workers who are getting the boot by not having their contracts renewed.

With the massive restructuring at the SABC, the broadcaster's CEO Madoda Mxakwe, on Monday in an internal memo told staffers as part of a "section 189" notification in line with the Labour Relations Act, that "drastic measures must be taken" or otherwise "the organisation would simply not be financially viable going forward".

After mismanagement and corruption, as well as wasteful and irregular expenditure of billions of rands, the beleaguered SABC is mired in debt, unable to pay suppliers and producers on time, and unable to secure the content it requires, with South Africa's auditor-general Kimi Makwetu who in September described the broadcaster as commercially insolvent.

A staggering amount of the SABC's expenditure goes to just paying staffers, although just 60% are directly involved in programming. The SABC is supposed to spend the bulk of its money on creating and broadcasting content.

One of the SABC's biggest expenses is its salary bill. Although a R7.2 billion revenue generating company, it's saddled with a massive annual salary bill of R3.1 billion.

The planned restructuring of positions and retrenchments will cut R440 million per year from the SABC's ballooning salary bill and doesn't include the money the broadcaster plans to save from cutting its freelance budget in half.

The SABC in the memo that TVwithThinus has seen, told staffers the broadcaster is "currently in dire financial straits", blaming "erstwhile management of the SABC" and saying "there has been many instances of unlawful and irregular promotions and increases afforded to employees, resulting in an inflated remuneration cost" and that "the SABC is also overstaffed".

The SABC told workers it is abolishing positions that will "result in the redundancy of a large number of positions, and the restructuring of others" that will cut R440 million from the SABC's wage bill.

Besides the 981 full-time workers the SABC could retrench, "the SABC has further resolved to end the contracts it has with approximately 1 200 freelance employees" the broadcaster told staffers. It currently has 2 400 independent contractors, meaning 50% are effectively getting fired.

The SABC told workers that this is still not enough and that "despite these efforts, all that remains is unfortunately the current staffing and positions in the SABC, as the final avenue of cost reduction open to the SABC".

The SABC says all employees at all levels within the broadcaster will be affected, including SABC Television and SABC Radio, SABC Sport, SABC News, provincial operations, group services, the commercial enterprise division, media technology and infrastructure.

The SABC told staffers that it plans to have the consultation process over retrenchments "finalised by 31 January 2019" so that "termination of employment can be given with effect from 1 February 2019".

The SABC proposes to pay fired workers one week's salary per completed year of service.

"We fully appreciate that employees may be concerned and apprehensive about the possible consequences which the contemplated redundancy will have upon employees and we are committed to conclude the process as soon as reasonably possible," SABC staffers were told on Monday.


All employees at all level affected
In a statement to TVwithThinus the SABC confirmed the staff memo and said it today "issued a notice to all staff informing them of the SABC's intention to proceed with section 189 of the Labour Relations Act".

"It is envisaged that all employees and at all levels in the SABC will be affected by the restructuring," Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson said, saying "it is envisaged that 981 employees may possibly be retrenched as a result of the restructuring" and that"out of the 2 400 freelancers, 1 200 will be affected".


4 Years Later: Finally to court to enact Public Protector recommendations
Four years after South Africa's Public Protector released her report into rot and corruption at the SABC, entitled "When Governance and Ethics Fail" the SABC is finally taking action, saying it is going to the country's Labour Court with an application "to have irregular appointments and promotions declared invalid as first identified in the 2014 Public Protector's report".

The SABC says there are still people working at the SABC currently "who were irregularly appointed, promoted or had their salaries irregularly increased".

Madoda Mxakwe in a statement said the public broadcaster "will correct all these irregular appointments, promotions and salary increases".

"The SABC will also approach the Labour Court, in terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, in its quest to recover monies that were irregularly paid as salary increases during the period under review."

BREAKING. SABC investigating possible transgressions by SABC News staffers in its Polokwane newsroom in its coverage of the growing VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

The SABC says it is investigating possible lapses and transgressions by SABC and SABC News staffers and journalists in its Polokwane newsroom of the SABC's own editorial code in terms of the approach and coverage of the saga around the scandalous implosion of the VBS Mutual Bank (VBS).

The SABC in a statement on Saturday morning said "the manner in which the coverage of the VBS Mutual Bank story was handled by its newsroom in Polokwane" is now under investigation for possible breaches of its editorial code.

The SABC didn't specify what allegations and evidence led to the internal investigation, or when it would be concluded.

Shocking revelations continue to come to light about the large-scale looting and state capture at the VBS Mutual Bank in a growing scandal that continues to sweep up more politicians and political parties in the disastrous plundering that destroyed the bank through widespread looting schemes.

Last week the report "The Great Bank Heist" was released, compiled by advocate Terry Motau and Werksmans Attorneys, revealing looting of R1.8 billion from VBS Bank.

Last month reports also surfaced about SABC staffers allegedly censored and banned at its Phalaphala FM radio station from discussing the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

"Should the investigation in Polokwane reveal evidence that the SABC News service's editorial principles of impartiality have been compromised, such violations will be dealt with decisively," says Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson.

"Any selective coverage - perceived or real - poses a real danger to the editorial character of the SABC News brand and therefore any interference, external or internal in our editorial decision-making will not be tolerated."

The SABC said that it "remains committed to providing the South African public new content that is accurate and balanced, and in a way that is responsible, transparent and unrestrained".

SABC denies rumours that scandal-damaged Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, says TV division is in a planning cycle and that no ideas around programming have been finalised.

The SABC on Saturday denied rumours that the scandal-riddled weekday talk show Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled.

The SABC refuted the rumours that started on Friday on the same day that South Africa's broadcasting regulator held a public hearing in a case about the secret "paid-talk" controversy that earlier this year not just derailed and massively damaged the show but also inflicted reputational brand and credibility damage on the show and SABC3.

On Friday the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) held its hearing in a case brought by the SOS Coalition and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) after the SABC and Real Talk, produced by Cheeky Media, did secret and non-disclosed pay-for-play interviews earlier this year.

In December 2017 the SABC and Cheeky Media broadcast two episodes on SABC3 in which host Anele Mdoda interviewed and fawned over the caustic and controversial former minister of social development, Bathabile Dlamini as well as her publicist Lumka Oliphant for which the department paid and SABC took payment, without disclosing to viewers that they are watching paid for "talkomercials".

Taking payment from politicians for interviews, as well as taking payment for interviews without disclosing it to the public are against the SABC's own editorial policy. The SABC board got involved and met about the serious lapse that damaged the SABC's integrity.

Anele Mdoda abruptly quit Real Talk in June as viewership of the already low-rated show tanked further, with SABC3 and Cheeky Media that rebranded the show with the credible Azania Mosaka who took over in mid-June to see out the rest of the current season of Real Talk.

Neither Real Talk, Anele Mdoda or SABC3 ever directly addressed the controversial issue on air although a Real Talk producer said most brands pay to be on the show.

After the SABC admitted its mistake, the SOS Coalition and MMA lodged a complaint with the Complaints and Compliance Committee, in terms of section 17C of the Icasa Act of 2000, against the SABC as a violation of sponsorship regulations.

The public hearing on Friday gave rise to rumours later during the day on social media that Real Talk is cancelled.

Earlier in the week, in parliament Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, said that the struggling SABC3 channel will reposition itself yet again and will focus on "strengthening our talk".

Asked if Real Talk on SABC3 is cancelled, SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu in response to a media enquiry from TVwithThinus denied that Real Talk has been dumped and said that nothing about future programming on SABC3 or the SABC's other TV channels has been finalised.

"The SABC TV division is currently in its annual strategic review and planning cycle," said Neo Momodu.

"Whilst there may be a myriad of ideas and proposals on the table for all programming based on their current and future expected performance, to date nothing has been finalised. The strategies are currently undergoing internal approval processes".

Meanwhile SABC insiders and industry insiders - all with direct knowledge of how the SABC3 channel works - told TVwithThinus they have heard nothing and know nothing about a Real Talk cancellation.

Fired, controversial former SABC boss Hlaudi Motsoeneng loses his CCMA case for reinstatement.

The fired, controversial former SABC chief operating officer (COO) and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng won't get his job back at the South African public broadcaster after he lost his case for reinstatement at the Commission for Conciliation‚ Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA).

Hlaudi Motsoeneng took the SABC to the CCMA after he was fired in April 2017 for bringing the South African public broadcaster into disrepute, but his case was dismissed on Thursday.

The SABC in a statement says it welcomes the CCMA's dismissal of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's case.

"This is testimony of the effectiveness of the strategies that the SABC is embarking on to restore the credibility and integrity of the corporation," says Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson in a statement.

"The SABC remains committed to enforcing sound governance procedures aimed at re-establishing a culture of accountability in the public broadcaster."

SABC's local soap Isidingo on SABC3 distances itself from 'racist' talent agent who told extras 'to go and take an Aids test' and to 'go sleep in your little caves where you come from. Maybe you can ask Mandela if he can resurrect you'.

The SABC's local weekday soap Isidingo has distanced itself from the "racist" talent agent Mary Ann Miller who told potential extras in a series of messages in a Whatsapp group "to go sleep in your little caves where you come. Maybe you can ask Mandela if he can resurrect you".

Mary Ann Miller fought with actress Gugu Xofsa in a Whatsapp group entitled "The revolution starts now".

Mary Ann Miller claimed that the Pomegranate Media produced show was allegedly looking for 17 extras and those "who comment on the group and are actually c*nts" won't get work on the show through her.

"We at Isidingo distance ourselves from her racist remarks that she has made," says Isidingo in a statement, denying that the show has ever worked with Mary Ann Miller.

"We have never worked with this said individual as she has never provided extras for our show. We do not condone any form of racism."

In the string of Whatsapp messages and voice notes, Mary Ann Miller said "English is a universal language, the sooner you realise that the better because without us, you won't have jobs," and "Remember your forefathers and our forefathers. We are not responsible for what happened to you, and you are not responsible for what happened to me. So, you want to stick by my side, fit in or f**k off."

"Those are my very good words because I'm only willing to help people that are rational and straight in their mind. Don't come with history and all the sh*t. It's not my problem. If it's your problem, go and take an Aids test or something, either than that stick by my back and you'll get work."

"You are black and it means that your skin is black. I am white because my skin is white. Why do we have to fight about this all the time? You guys clearly did not get work, that is why you are frustrated on another group or something."

"If you have acting ability, you will be in an acting agent. Either than that you are just useless piece of people who sit on the street. So, go and find somewhere to belong and then we can talk."

"Don't send messages anymore, go and f**k off and go sleep in your little caves where you come. Maybe you can ask Mandela if he can resurrect you. Here we are trying to get work and we do work and everything, so you guys can go and sleep now, alright."

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson, said the South African public broadcaster is investigating the matter.

"As the public broadcaster, we condemn and are against actions and comments which go against the spirit of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa and social cohesion. We distance ourselves from such comments and we'll investigate, as far as it relates to our suppliers and people that we do business with."

SABC denies that it's paying for 'Brooke Logan's' flowers, spa treatments or anything else around Katherine Kelly Lang's South African visit while multiple local producers are still owed millions by the broadcaster.

Did Katherine Kelly Lang buy flowers for herself to be handed to her at her airport arrival? The SABC is denying that it's paying for "Brooke Logan's" flowers or anything else around The Bold and the Beautiful actress' South African visit, saying the public broadcaster "did not incur any costs".

It comes amidst the basically bankrupt South African public broadcaster still owing a litany of local production companies millions of rands owed for content, with shows like Uzalo on SABC1 that has completely shut down production with cast and crew that downed tools due to non-payment by the SABC.

The SABC, a R7 billion corporation, has only R26 million left in the back and owes 27 times more - R694 million - to producers and other service providers who haven't been paid as the broadcaster awaits a another possible government bailout.

SABC viewers, the public, actors and producers are now wondering where the SABC gets the money from to participate in the nationwide marketing blitz of the iconic The Bold and the Beautiful actress visiting South Africa this week and next week with the American weekday soap that is broadcast on SABC3.

While SABC TV head publicist Zandile Nkonyeni welcomed Katherine Kelly Lang at the airport with flowers and joined her for spa treatments, Katherine's team or someone else is apparently paying for the flowers and everything else, not the SABC, according to the broadcaster.

Katherine is making several public appearances together with the SABC and banner-headlined by SABC3 in cities around South Africa.

After a game reserve safari and spa treatments this week, Katherine Kelly Lang will appear on SABC3's Real Talk with Azania on Tuesday, film scenes for SABC3's local soap, Isidingo, and do a profile interview insert on Top Billing following a flurry of brunches, radio interviews and viewer meet-and-greets.

Vuyo Ngcukana, an actor in The Queen on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) crystalised the thoughts of many onlookers this week, wondering "who is picking up Brooke Logan's bill for being here, I see she's getting royal treatment with spas and flowers but Uzalo actors are fighting for money they've worked for that hasn't been paid, so who brought and paid for Brooke?"

The SABC says it's not paying a cent for Katherine Kelly Lang's visit.

Quick question, who is picking up Brooke Logan’s bill for being here, I see she’s getting the royal treatment with spas and flowers but Uzalo actors are fighting for money they’ve worked for that hasn’t been paid, so who brought and paid for Brooke?

— Vuyolwethu Ngcukana (@vuyomse) August 28, 2018

Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson tells TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that "the SABC did not pay for, nor sponsor Katherine Kelly Lang’s visit to South Africa."

"The Bold and Beautiful and Katherine paid for the visit as part of long standing plans for Katherine to compete in the 2018 Ironman World Championship taking place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, 1 September. SABC3 piggy-backed on this visit and therefore did not incur any costs."

After no pay Uzalo on SABC1 abruptly shuts down due to the SABC’s worsening cash crisis.

The filming of Uzalo has abruptly ceased with production that has shut down on the SABC and South Africa's biggest and most-watched show and sending shockwaves through South Africa's TV industry due to the South African public broadcaster failure to pay producers as the broadcaster moves ever closer to financial implosion.

Uzalo is the most watched show on SABC1 and on South African television in its entirety, drawing in excess of 9 million per episode, but the SABC that is basically bankrupt, is no longer able to afford the show, with Uzalo's production company as well as a litany of other producers who are not being paid although the SABC still wants them to supply content.

Last week SABC executives told parliament the public broadcaster will only have R26 million left at the end of August while debt has spiralled to over R694 million. It means that the SABC owes 27 times more than the money it has left.

The SABC said it's struggling to pay to keep "water and lights" on, then staffers and freelance workers, and the pays what it can to other service providers and producers.

After years of mismanagement, corruption, looting and irregular expenditure of hundreds of millions of rands and the destruction wreaked by its former COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC is once again hovering on the brink of collapse, desperate for another government bailout since its previous one in 2009 when it got a R1.47 billion Nedbank loan guaranteed by the government.

Stained Glass Pictures that produces Uzalo said production shut down on Monday on the KwaMashu set prime time drama series until the SABC starts paying.

It follows two weeks after producers within South Africa's TV community started buzzing that Uzalo is in serious trouble as well and is facing the impossible choice of either firing crew and staffers or having to shut down if it's not going to get paid by the SABC within two weeks. That has now happened.

"It's so sad because they're such sweet people and don't want to lose their contract and they're still a relatively new production company, trying to hard to create good work for the SABC," a producer not directly involved with the show but with connections there, said.

TVwithThinus was reliably informed that other production companies are likely set to follow Stained Glass Pictures, with producers who are at wit's end and fed-up with the SABC who can no longer continue to take make content for the public broadcaster and take out bank loans to finance it, instead of actually getting paid by the SABC who has simply shifted the cost burden to producers.

"As a company we carried the cost of production for as long as we were able to, while waiting for the outstanding payments to be settled by the public broadcaster," says Pepsi Pokane, Uzalo's executive producer.

Uzalo will remain shut down for at least this week until the end of August with the cast and crew who suspended their services since they were not paid on 25 August. It means that the window between production and episode delivery to the SABC will narrow by at least a week as SABC1 starts to use up and play out the reserve episodes.

Stained Glass Pictures says the production staff have exercised their right to withhold services until they receive their August salaries. "We are in constant communication with the broadcaster and are confident that this will all be resolved in the next week," the company said.

Ironically the SABC reached out to Stained Glass Pictures to help after the disastrous implosion of its other TV drama, Uselwa where all the money is gone and with the cast and crew unpaid and the broadcaster having no footage to show for it.

The SABC asked Stained Glass Pictures to take over managing the Uselwa crisis, although Uzalo is now itself experiencing a crisis.

"Is the government ever going to let the SABC fail?" asked a TV executive who previously worked for the SABC as a producer but who is no longer doing work for the SABC. "Why isn't the government approving another SABC bailout and delaying the inevitable? Production companies have been made to suffer when they haven't had anything to do with causing this crisis".

The SABC asked for comment about the Uzalo shutdown on Monday night again cited it's precarious financial position.

"The SABC has reported on numerous platforms that it is experiencing dire financial difficulties with the corporation unable to meet its monthly financial obligations, after making critical payments," said Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson.

"Payment arrangements are being made with suppliers, service providers and creditors and we are proactively engaging with these stakeholders."

"We remain concerned that a financially distressed public broadcaster will not only have negative effects on its staff, the local production industry, small, medium and micro enterprises, but on every citizen," Neo Momodu said.

REVEALED. Here is why the SABC botched the broadcast playout of the debut of Survivor: Cambodia on SABC3 this time and didn't air it as a Saturday repeat.

TVwithThinus can reveal why the SABC botched the playout of the new season of Survivor on SABC3 for the third consecutive time, and why this past Saturday's supposed rebroadcast in the weekend repeat slot mysteriously disappeared without any explanation.

Last Monday night SABC3 once again mangled the broadcast of the start of a new Survivor season for the 3rd consecutive time, without explaining why it happened yet again.

SABC3 completely removed the entire immunity challenge, switching straight to tribal council after an ab break, and had to play music videos to fill the empty airtime on the channel until 21:00.

Angry viewers vented their anger and confusion against SABC3 for once again botching the broadcast of the show distributed by CBS Studios International.

On Tuesday morning last week the SABC3 decided to reschedule the botched episode and then broadcast it on Tuesday evening, pre-empting the night's programming and showing the episode for the first time correctly.

Then, this past Saturday, SABC3 failed to broadcast the repeat of Survivor Cambodia Second Chance on Saturday afternoon at 15:00 - once again leaving a lot of SABC3 viewers angry and confused.

When 15:00 arrived there was no Survivor Cambodia Second Chance on SABC3, with the channel broadcasting Married to Medicine with no on-screen explanation and SABC3 silent on social media after it told viewers on Saturday morning that Survivor would be on at 15:00.

On Saturday TVwithThinus asked the SABC spokesperson Neo Momodu why the Monday episode was mangled and what technical issues led to the problem, and why the show wasn't repeated on Saturday.

On Tuesday this week the SABC was asked again asked in a follow-up to last week's media enquiry what happened with the Monday episode and the missing Saturday repeat.

The SABC said it would respond on Wednesday. By 12:00 there were no answers as to what happened 9 days ago and for which the SABC has existing playout log entries on what took place and the reasons why, and for which an approved schedule amendment was signed off last Tuesday.

If there's a response from the SABC, it will be added below this story.

Meanwhile sources within the public broadcaster gave their explanations as to what actually happened on Monday night, as well as Saturday's disappeared repeat.

It turns out that the Survivor Cambodia Second Chance tape unexpectedly contained a long black film strip that the SABC tried to remove.

"There was a long black film on the original tape that was corrected, but when it came time to broadcast, it was back in," explained a source. It means that that section of the first episode containing the immunity challenge couldn't be shown on air.

About the missing Saturday repeat on SABC3, a source told TVwithThinus that the public broadcaster technically used up its repeat when it re-showed the first episode on the following night.

Although last Tuesday's broadcast of the first episode of Survivor Cambodia on SABC3 was technically the first time that it was broadcast correctly, according to the broadcaster's playout loglines, it strictly counted as the repeat.

"SABC3 played Survivor Cambodia again on Tuesday and because the SABC acquired only two runs according to the licensing rights, the Saturday repeat could not be aired".

SABC3's mangled Survivor history

SABC3 has an ongoing, embarrassing history with mangling Survivor and alienating viewers.

In September 2009 SABC3 messed up the order of the episodes for the Survivor China finale which led to massive viewer outrage. 

As advertisers and the sponsor demanded money back, the final control worker was immediately sent home, and later disciplined; and the issue was even addressed in parliament where the mistake was lamented as indicative of the worrying state of the public broadcaster. 

In December 2010 SABC3 abruptly delayed the start of Survivor Gabon. Weekly South African entertainment magazines that ran exit interviews worked according to SABC3's planned schedule and already put Christmas and New Year issues to bed.

The result was that multiple magazine covers gave away who was getting voted out before SABC3 showed the episode because the broadcast schedule no longer synced up with magazines' on sale distribution dates.

In Aprl 2012 SABC3 played a wrong promo during the 19th season showing a contestant already sitting in the tribal council jury although he was still very much part of the competing group of the show - giving away that he is getting voted out.

BREAKING. Kaizer Kganyago out as SABC spokesperson after 13 years, replaced by Neo Momodu appointed as new marketing and corporate affairs exec at SA's public broadcaster.

The SABC has replaced Kaizer Kganyago as the crises-riddled South African public broadcaster's spokesperson after 13 years, with Neo Momodu who has been appointed as the SABC's chief marketing and corporate affairs exec and who will add the role of acting as spokesperson.

Kaizer Kganyago who remains part of the SABC's communications division is being moved to another role at the SABC that the broadcaster didn't specify, with the SABC saying Neo Momodu will be taking up both roles "with immediate effect".

The now-fired former chief operating officer (COO) of the SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, previously held this position of "group executive of corporate affairs" before he was abruptly fired in June 2017.

At most companies the marketing boss who deals with budgets, advertising and campaign strategies, is not also the official spokesperson - a specialised position where the publicist has to stand in to field often-difficult questions from the press on behalf of bosses as part of crisis communications, and maintaining public relations with the media.

Neo Momodu who previously worked for the SABC for four years from 2003, has a LL.B (Hons from the University of Hertfordshire and a post-graduate diploma from the Wits Business School and was head of corporate affairs at Media24 between May 2014 and April 2016.

The SABC said that in her new role Neo Momodu will work with the SABC's top execs to try and position the SABC as "an authentic and world-class public service broadcaster to fulfill its mandate of acting continuously for the betterment of our society".

Neo Momodu will "also be responsible for enhancing the SABC's engagement strategies with its key stakeholders, acting as the overall driver of corporate communications and marketing".

Madoda Mxakwe, SABC CEO said "I'm thrilled to welcome Neo Momodu to the SABC. She joins at a critical stage when we are working towards turning around the organisation.

"Neo Momodu brings an impressive career in the media and communications sphere, as well as valuable experience with our brands. We are confident that she is equipped to lead this critical division of the organisation. The board and management of the SABC wish Neo Momodu well in executing her duties."