COSATU Call Center Number 010 002 2590

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) has recently launched a new call center to provide much-needed assistance to workers facing labour-related challenges. This dedicated resource aims to offer support, information, and guidance to both members of COSATU-affiliated unions and unorganized workers, ensuring that they have a place to turn for help with workplace issues.

Open Letter to Minister of Sport 

Minister of Sport
South African Rugby Union
SABC
eTV
SuperSport / DStv
Competition Commission

Dear Colleagues,

I trust this correspondence finds you well and committed to the outcomes of the previous discussions regarding the broadcasting of rugby to all South Africans.

COSATU Western Cape is deeply concerned that the arrangements for broadcasting national rugby games on the national broadcaster have fallen through. As custodians of public policy, it is disheartening to see the social contract regarding the broadcasting of rugby being undermined in this manner.

In the past, only DStv subscribers could watch the rugby games live, while the rest of South Africa, unable to afford DStv, had to watch the game an hour later on SABC. Following public outrage, discussions were held, and it was agreed that a fair deal would be established to allow all South Africans to view the matches live on SABC.

However, this agreement has been set aside, including due to a Competition Commission order to suspend the sub-licensing agreement regarding rugby games. This order was granted following a complaint from eTV’s OpenView about being excluded from the sub-licensing deal with SABC and SuperSport. Consequently, this has led to the blackout of international games on public broadcaster channels.

Several alarming issues have emerged during this process:

  1. The SABC could have appealed the competition ruling instead of promoting other sports programmes at the expense of national games.
  2. DStv, facing significant financial challenges, seeks to secure sole rights to the games on SuperSport.
  3. OpenView, despite lodging the case with the Competition Commission, does not benefit from the ruling, which only prejudices national access to the games.
  4. The Ministry has remained silent on this issue while prioritising less critical sporting matters.
  5. The Competition Commission should have considered the public interest and sought a more nuanced solution.

These developments could even be interpreted as a kind of collusion to restrict public access to the games.

While the process that led to this situation is legitimate under the Competition Act, there is significant public interest in this matter. A more elegant solution should be found to address the competition challenges while ensuring South Africans’ right to watch international games on SABC.

COSATU in the Western Cape requests that the Minister urgently convene the stakeholders mentioned above to negotiate a more flexible, and if necessary, interim solution to the challenges raised that allows the games to be shown on SABC. We are ready to provide further details and assist in finding a solution before the next big international game involving the Springboks.

Yours faithfully,

COSATU Western Cape

Provincial Secretary, Malvern  de Bruyn, 060 977 9027