12 February 2024

The Communications Workers Union is dismayed at the allegations in Sunday media reports about the suspension of two senior SABC Executives with a third one resigning.

A News24 media report state that the Chief Operating Officer Ian Plaatjies has been suspended along the  Group Executive for Video Entertainment Merlin Naicker while  Group Executive for Sales Reginald Nxumalo resigned.

The three are facing allegations of  hiding a  multi million profit in a digital contract. If reports are true, we are calling for the investigation to be expedited and serious consequences should follow.

The revelation comes as workers who are members of CWU are in deadlock over the salary increase. 

The SABC continues to plead poverty while allegations of concealing profit are  out there in the media.

Workers have not had a salary increase for over three years and every time there are financial losses or financial crisis, workers have to become the scapegoat and bear the brunt through no salary increases.

The plundering of the financial resources of the SABC through shady contracts and unaccounted fruitless and wasteful expenditure  every financial year cannot continue and used as an excuse not to give workers a salary increase and their backdated pay.

As CWU we will still continue to defend our Public Broadcaster by keeping an eye on all these questionable deals from all angles

While CWU welcomes the suspension of the two executives, we are further calling on the SABC to also place the  Chief Financial Officer Yolande Van Biljon on precautionary suspension.

She also has to answer during the investigation as the person who holds the purse of the SABC. As CWU we want to know how the 7.5% slipped through her fingers in this  digital deal.

The union  we reiterate that the fight for the salary increase to be backdated to the 1 April 2023 will continue. We are resolute in fighting for our demand.

For media enquiries contact 

Nathan Bowers 

National Bargaining Coordinator 

Cell: 0817947702