Message from Rian

"John" and Ben: Thanks for finally accepting my author request. You guys are doing an excellent job of this blog!

Allow me to update readers of what has recently been happening. As you would have seen on Friday, I have been asked by the organised employees of the SABC to communicate as much as possible to them. It is much more effective to do so on this blog, than by SABC email.

I have been elected as one of the co-ordinators of the industrial action to take place over the next two weeks. I believe it will be a very effective and visible protest. It will surely get the Shareholder's attention, convincing him of our value. That is what all strikes are about - to prove to the owner(s) that they should value their accumulated skills base more. I have no idea how "management" thinks they will be able to continue broadcasting without us. If they can, we owe it to the World to enable them to demonstrate such a miracle. The irony is that their mere attempt to do so, will be very costly, and there is no money to begin with.

Note that as with us, our suppliers are also in danger of not being paid. We must make sure the strike is very short and effective, so minimal damage occurs. We will provide a program to SABC soon, so that advertisers move their spots earlier or later, to cause least financial damage. We want to prove our value, not cause huge further financial losses.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
It has become abundantly clear that a single factor has caused the dire financial situation the SABC finds itself in - over expenditure. There was NO "drop in revenue", as the big spenders may want you to believe. The money was wastefully spent on the following:

1. Local programs - programs by friends and bribe payers - without measuring returns in the form of sponsorships, ad revenue or public mandate value.
   
2. Sports rights - Much money was paid for rights to sporting events, without consideration that it was never scheduled for transmission.
   
3. Overseas programs - The 1st class flights and 5 star hotels for top executives in Los Angeles, Cannes, and London brought back highly expensive programs not suited to our viewers.
   
4. Local sport production - without consideration for value to our advertisers or sponsors, production costs for programs produced (S & T, traveling) was always more that advertising returns.
   
5. Extra staff - Friends of top management were hired in droves over the past 3 years - so many we have lost count. None of them actually broadcast, but the HR, Finance and Corporate Communications departments have DOUBLED their staff complement.
   
6. Promotion of friends - it is no secret that some of Top Management's friends earn R70 000-00 per month for very little value
   
7. Consultants - nearly One Billion over the last 3 years - if we had competent people in management, we would have saved ALL of this.
   

MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE IN EXCO
In light of this, the leaders of the unions at the SABC have now resolved to, without delay, to stop recognising the entire Top Management complement as part of the SABC.

This means that the organised staff of the SABC will now only negotiate with the new Interim Board, the Ministry, or with the Parlaimentary Portfolio Committee on Communications, or people fully authorised and mandated by the abovementioned.

The leadership have further resolved that no bail-out package can be sought by the same people who already squandered all the SABC's assets.

All the SABC stakeholders - the Unions, SMF, Interim Board, as well as the Shareholder, have all already seperately agreed that a full forensic investigation must take place without any delay.

In light of this, we (SOLA) have already engaged with many of the best individual forensic investigators, auditors, and auditing companies, and have even started providing affidavits.

For further information - and if you need to make an affidavit - please contact your union HQ for instructions on how to make a Protected Disclosure with one of the participating auditors.

Note that at this point, the SABC Internal Audit can unfortunately not provide an adequate service, due to the sheer volume, and the fact that they have neither a head not an audit committee chair to report to.

Auditors and investigators who can prove capacity, are requested to contact the offices of the Auditor General to offer assistance with this enormous task.

Long live the SABC long live!

Rian Geldenhuys
Spokesperson - SABC Organised Labour Alliance (SOLA)
Co-ordinator - Protected Industrial Action