South Africa’s SABC public broadcaster has put it much promised “retrenchment” plan on hold. The pause follows “constructive and extensive” engagements with various stakeholders, including the parliamentary portfolio committee on communications, organised labour and its own employees, SABC said in a statement.

The restructuring plan was needed to help reverse a 3 billion Rand shortfall in its expenditure, continuing annual losses and allegedly extensive examples of over-manning.  Reports of alleged corruption are never far from the newspapers reporting on SABC, while management disputes are never-ending.

One high priority is for a new funding model to be agreed.

SABC now says it will still embark on a skills audit to provide it with an appropriate new structure. “All our stakeholders acknowledge the need to review the increase in costs, including the compensation bill, hence the need to conduct a thorough skills audit and related activities. The outcome will provide the SABC with a fit-for-purpose structure, with clearly defined span of control, appropriate layers of management and appropriate skills and competencies for roles,” said SABC.

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