Call to put SABC under administration

8 Nov 2011

The South African Screen Federation (SASFED), representing the interest of most film and television industry organisations as a collective federation, has called on the government to put the SABC under administration until its finances are returned to profitability, local content quotes restored to legal minimum requirements, it can meet its mandate and its reputation is restored.

The Executive Committee and Council of SASFED bases this on the:

Instability of the new SABC Board since January 2010
Continued delay in appointment of a permanent CEO, COO and CFO
Lack of significant commissioning of local content since 2008
Continued chaos at the national broadcaster, such as the Ndaba fiasco, the sudden firing of the company secretary, the luxury car saga and daily reports of maladministration, corruption, wasteful and fruitless expenditure
Continued lack of respect accorded to the independent film and television production sector by the national broadcaster and SABC's delays and refusals to engage with us as equals

SASFED also believes that:

The entire turnaround of the SABC is being unduly influenced by political manoeuvring and hidden agendas
The SABC Board and acting management have no real intention of engaging in good faith and in a meaningful way with the independent production sector
The continued collapse of sections of the independent production sector is mainly due to lack of commissioning by the national broadcaster
The turnaround of the SABC will continue to be impossible to achieve under the present leadership which, for example, appoints a new strategic chief before appointing a new CEO, COO and CFO

The federation has called for the immediate resignation of the chairman of the Board and asks the Minister of Communications to urgently appoint a caretaker administration, publicly nominated from the public sector, which will take financial, editorial and administrative control of the national public broadcaster.