BREAKING. Maijang Mpherwane out at SABC after 13 years as struggling public broadcaster loses yet another TV executive that resigns.

The exodus of talent and experienced executives at the South African public broadcaster is continuing unabated with TV boss Maijang Sam Mpherwane who has resigned and is leaving the SABC after 13 years.

The SABC's already gutted TV division is losing another high-level executive with Maijang Mpherwane who is exiting the cash-strapped and struggling public broadcaster at the end of July.

Maijang Mpherwane who served as a commissioning editor at the SABC's SABC Education division and then SABC1 programming manager for a long time, became acting SABC1 channel head in 2013, was appointed SABC1 channel head in April 2014, and then became the SABC's general manager for TV channels in February 2016.

During his barely year and a half in the position where he oversaw SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and the rerun channel SABC Encore packaged for MultiChoice's DStv, Maijang Mpherwane found himself in the midst of unending upheaval and a never-ending litany of problems and crises.

Maijang Mpherwane tried to keep the SABC's TV channels on the air amidst massive executive upheaval and in-fighting behind the scenes at the SABC that saw a slew of high-level firings and resignations in the TV division under then chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng who has now himself been fired last month following a disciplinary hearing.

Before the disastrous period of 2016 under Maijang Mpherwane's tenure that saw the SABC's TV division experience extreme internal turmoil and erratic commissioning procedures, abrupt orders for 80% local content on SABC3 and falling ratings for the SABC's TV channels - all the result of Hlaudi Motsoeneng's dictatorial and highly abrasive management style - Maijang Mpherwane also had to deal with problems as SABC1 channel head.

He barely became SABC1 channel head when the entire principal Generations soap cast went on strike and were all fired under his watch in August 2014 on Hlaudi Motsoeneng's orders,  something that saw the soap - the SABC's most watched programme at the time, completely disappear from the public broadcaster's airwaves for months.

In late-April this year Maijang Mpherwane and Nomsa Philiso both came in for severe public criticism after they jetted off to Los Angeles for a meet-and-greet set visit and cast party with the American day time soap The Bold and the Beautiful.

Both had lunch at a luxury beach house as part of a jet-set press junket while the out-of-cash SABC is struggling and not able to pay local South African TV producers the money they're owed for programming delivered to the public broadcaster.

"It is indeed a bittersweet moment for us as the SABC. His departure comes at an exciting time for us as we are starting to see the fruits of our repositioning as a division, a project that Maijang Mpherwane contributed immensely to," says Nomsa Philiso, SABC TV group executive in a statement.

"We are proud that the SABC had an opportunity to guide and shape Maijang Mpherwane who came into the organisation as an intern in 2004, and leaves today as a general manager with a broad skill set across content and channel management. He now has an opportunity to further make a meaningful contribution to the broader production industry."

The SABC doesn't have a replacement for Maijang Mpherwane and will start a recruitment process to fill the position.

"We will be starting the recruitment process with immediate effect and we would like to assure the production industry of a seamless transition," says Nomsa Philiso.

SABC announces yet another new schedule and logo for SABC3 starting from July as it dumps international content from the channel's line-up.

The SABC on Wednesday afternoon at its headquarters in Auckland Park announced yet another new schedule and another new channel logo for its rating-challenged SABC3 channel, eviscerating a large swathe of international shows and replacing it with new unknown local content and older local repeats.

A ranting Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) who didn't use a script, once again quickly veered sharply off-message,speaking about a lot of stuff that didn't have anything to do with the new schedule.

The latest new SABC3 schedule, dumping highly rated international content like Survivor, The Amazing Race and Days of Our Lives and coming into effect from July, comes just 4 months after the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng in February announced and introduced a TV schedule shake-up for SABC3.

The latest new schedule, yet again moving shows around and removing some of the shows with the highest viewership ratings on the channel, is part of Hlaudi Motsoeneng dramatic makeover of the SABC's three terrestrial TV channels, ordering 90% local content be shown.

Now SABC3 is getting yet another new schedule and some new on-screen talent, with viewers who will once again have to try and find where shows moved to that remain on the schedule, where new shows are scheduled and where repeats are slotted.

The new SABC3 logo that will come into effect from July replaces the previous one that was introduced a year and 10 months ago in August 2014 and that viewers at the time slammed as "ugly" and "unimaginative".

The sweeping change will start with 80% local content on SABC3 from July - the South African Broadcasting Corporation's only commercial TV channel that is supposed to be an income-driver for the channel with a smaller public broadcasting service (PBS) mandate than sister channels SABC1 and SABC2.

While the emphasis on more local TV content is welcomed, academics and TV industry experts say the move is unsustainable long-term, given the size, capacity, skills and money of South Africa's TV biz.

To produce one minute of local content for instance cost a minimum of R5000 and despite promises since October 2014 by Hlaudi Motsoeneng of R600 million made available by the SABC to local producers, this money will not be enough to fill and sustain a 90% local content programming strategy for the three channels without compromising quality and a much higher that usual repeat and rebroadcast frequency.

At the SABC press conference - attended by Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Jimi Matthews (acting SABC CEO), Nomsa Philiso (SABC head of commercial enterprises) and Aisha Mohamed (SABC3 channel head) - Anton Heunis (SABC commercial advisor) said "more local content will stimulate our industry immensely".

SABC staff slammed for sleeping at work, drinking tea
Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "SABC will do what we believe is right for South Africa". "SABC won't be the same. This is a new SABC".

"We have taken a decision. And if I've taken a decision, no turning back. You'll make your own noise.We want to make sure we empower our own people".

"We as SABC we're doing very well. 90% we're doing very well. Reality is, international content isn't doing well for the SABC," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "You must watch SABC3. you will see amazing stuff".

"You don't see youth content on our platform. From 1 November we will have a youth content. We will go to universities and broadcast live in those universities. Not about politics, about the issues that affect young people".

"I was an actor. The changes you see you see is in my blood," said Hlaudi Motsoeneng. "You don't know that I work with white people. And they like me. I work with everyone".

"You who write bad about us, I think about you every time. I perform well when I have forces that don't support me". Talking in the third person, Hlaudi Motsoeneng said: 'When this man takes the podium, people clap hands".

"People have been playing here at the SABC. Sleeping here. Playing here and drinking tea". He again said that the SABC will introduce a uniform for workers. "We will have uniform at SABC. But not every day. Why other people have uniform?'

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "I don't know what is prime time. I want prime time to be every hour, every minute". He said the SABC will show all cultural and traditional events. To Anton Heunis he said: "You have your culture. Your boerewors".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng slammed SABC TV news staff. "When you see our own journalists on the news, they're dead. You need more passion". He said: "Why should SABC TV News follow follow print media? Why can't we break news? I don't understand why eNCA on DStv channel 403 is better than SABC News".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said a journalist from Netwerk24 asking why the SABC isn't covering the Tshwane Unrest adequately and what the SABC's stance is on SABC reporters who are unhappy, "is spoiling the party" and that he won't answer her in the press conference.

SABC3 will continue to do lifestyle and entertainment
SABC TV executive Sam Maijang said "SABC3 is where the biggest impact has been to the changes that we've made. The channel continues to speak to local lifestyle and entertainment. This is content for the multicultural South Africa but with a global outlook".

"SABC3 going forward will have no repeats in prime time from July." He said SABC3's daytime line-up has also been "invigorated".

"We've retained some key foreign content blocks. The type of foreign content that will sit on the channel will not necessarily be the same as what has been there". He said "it's a new journey for us. It's unchartered territory for us".

SABC spin doctor Kaizer Kganyago said: "Don't believe the critics. The critics who have never been in broadcasting".

Aisha Mohamed, SABC3 channel head said it was necessary to change the look of the channel after seeing how the channel was being perceived at the moment.

"[It has a] aspirational, multicultural tone. The logo went through a little bit of a restoration. We went from the square logo to a more circular look. We call it a kaleidoscope."

"There is not necessarily one solid colour. And in terms of a kaleidoscope the brand is evolving."


The 2-hour long press conference was broadcast live on SABC News (DStv 404) and was live streamed. You can watch it in its entirety here: