Luthuli House welcomes averting of job losses at SABC

SABC in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
SABC in Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
Image: Waldo Swiegers. (C) Sunday Times.

The ANC on Thursday welcomed the decision by the SABC not to renew its notice to retrench more than 2,000 permanent staff and freelancers.

“The ANC has always believed that employers, inclusive of state-owned enterprises, should exhaust all avenues before resorting to retrenchments," said national spokeman Zizi Kodwa. "We are pleased that the SABC has elected not to renew the section 189 notice following constructive engagements with relevant stakeholders."

The cash-strapped public broadcaster had indicated in late 2018 that it was looking to reduce the number of permanent employees by 981, and the number of freelancers by 1,200.

In a statement, the SABC said it had decided not to go ahead with the retrenchment process.

It said it was doing this in the "interest of the SABC, its employees, key stakeholders and the South African public at large".

Kodwa commended communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams and the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications for their guidance on this matter.

"While we appreciate the challenging economic conditions, we remain convinced that creative solutions can always be found through honest and open engagements among the affected parties. We are mindful of the fact that this step does not suggest that the SABC is out of the woods yet, but it is an encouraging step towards finding lasting solutions," said Kodwa.

The ANC urged the SABC to continue engaging with stakeholders "towards rebuilding a robust public broadcaster the nation can be proud of".


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