Cape Town – The SABC is set to spend R100m more on staff salaries and paying board members.
This is according to the public broadcaster’s new corporate plan for 2015/2016 to 2017/2018 which also says revenues are "constrained" amid advertisers cutting back "as a result of declining TV audiences due to non-performance of critical programming".
The corporate plan also highlights that the public broadcaster's commercial revenues are under pressure owing to tough economic conditions causing advertisers to "reduce their marketing and resultant advertising spend".
But the public broadcaster intends going ahead with pay hikes.
"A 7.5% increase has been included for permanent staff, board fees, freelancers, and various temporary staff requirements," reads SABC corporate plan document.
Revenues from SABC TV licence fees are further projected to hit R1bn, according to the corporate plan.
The SABC's latest corporate plan comes as four of the six SABC board members who were opposed to the permanent appointment of Hlaudi Motsoeneng as chief operating officer (COO) are no longer there.
SABC board member Bongani Khumalo abruptly resigned in January, Hope Zinde was fired earlier in March and last week the remaining SABC board fired Rachel Kalidass and Ronnie Lubisi. Yet, Krish Naidoo and Vusi Mavuso who were also opposed to Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s permanent appointment remain.
On Thursday, April 2, parliament's portfolio committee on communications will start the interviews with the shortlisted candidates to replace the disgraced former SABC chairperson Ellen Tshabalala who resigned in mid-December 2014 after she was mired in a scandal about lying about tertiary qualifications she never had.
The five candidates shortlisted, of which one will likely become a new SABC board member, are Saskia Janine Hickey, Ntomizandile Lesame (academic), Keabatswe Modimoeng (businessman), Jenni Irish-Quobosheane (former civilian police secretary) and Ashwin Trikamjee (attorney).