Hlaudi plays Santa in SABC bonus row

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But if the mid-level managers were the Grinch that stole Christmas from the top executives, it was controversial SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng who became their Santa Claus by announcing they would still get their 13th cheques, albeit only early next year. The bonuses were meant to be paid this month.

The row once again brings into sharp focus the allegation that executives are using the board to rubber stamp decisions by powerful managers.

The trouble began when mid-level managers - among them news editors, output editors and producers - learned that top executives, such as Motsoeneng, the head of human resources and the company secretary, were going to be paid a 13th cheque.

Angry managers demanded that the bonuses be scrapped and threatened to go to court if this was not done.

They took the matter up with Motsoeneng, who had been reinstated in his post a few days earlier following a contentious disciplinary process. Motsoeneng then stopped the payments, scheduled for the end of this week.

Motsoeneng insisted the cheques for top executives had not been stopped, but were "delayed" to give him time to resolve "the misunderstanding" with middle managers.

He said the disgruntled managers viewed the payments as bonuses, but they were merely 13th cheques that everyone except the senior managers had already received this year.

But the middle managers are having none of that - with one insisting that a possible solution would be for the broadcaster to pay all its staff similar once-off payments.

SABC group executive for human resources Jabulani Mabaso said senior managers had "sacrificed" their 13th cheques since 2009 as part of austerity measures at the public broadcaster.

It was incorrect, he added, to say the executives had paid themselves, saying the board resolved the "once-off" payment while it weighed the permanent reinstatement of a 13th cheque.

SABC company secretary Theresa Geldenhuys said the board decision was taken on 26 November.

It is likely hostilities will resume when the two groups meet again as middle managers had believed the decision to stop payment was final.

"There was no way we would allow them to pay themselves once-off bonuses right under our noses," said an unhappy middle manager.

SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said the payment would be between R6million and R7-million, and would be shared between 22 group executives as well as 68 general managers.

The SABC's latest figures show the 18 permanent senior managers earned R1.3-million to R3.7-million each.

Source: Sunday Times