SABC ponders way forward

“We see the findings as a setback for the football-loving public of South Africa,” SABC head of communications Kaizer Kganyago told Bizcommunity.com late last night.

“However, we have discussed the matter with our legal team and are waiting their advice, as to how to find the way forward to this matter.”

Pressed to comment further on the judgement and the public broadcaster's next move, a dejected-sounding Kganyago said, “There is nothing much we can say at this stage until we get advice from our lawyers.”

Despite losing the case, Kganyago said that the public broadcaster has no regrets for taking the matter to the arbitrator.

Chris Loxton SC, the arbitrator in the SABC-PSL case, has – as expected – dismissed with costs all the complaints made by the public broadcaster against the PSL, chairman Irvin Khoza announced triumphantly on Monday.

The ‘defeat' has added a huge dose of salt to the wounds of the SABC, which is still battling to restore its image, dented by a series of controversial decisions and seen by many observers and independent analysts as unorthodox and unbecoming of a respected public broadcaster.

SuperSport, which paid close to R2 billion to secure the TV soccer deal, has since brought a feast of soccer to the small screen – at least to households that can afford to pay a DStv monthly ‘eternal' subscription.