SABC+bosses+meet+re+staff+exodus,+Cecil+Motsepe,+City+Press

City Press, Johannesburg, 03/03/2007 19:35 - (SA)
=SABC bosses hold urgent meeting on staff exodus=


 * Cecil Motsepe**

SABC bosses were this week locked in an urgent indaba to deal with the exodus of its top talent.

The public broadcaster has lost no fewer than 12 of its top-drawer journalists and presenters since the beginning of the year.

The latest people to join the exodus include top SABC Africa newsreader Peter Ndoro, reporters Njanji Chauke, Muzi Mkhwanazi and Seleste Tema, wife of sports presenter Tabiso Tema.

Their resignations follow those of Lerato Mbele, Nikiwe Bikitsha, John Perlman and Mandlakazi Mphahlwa.

City Press understands that the exodus was triggered by management’s apparent failure to deal with problems ranging from salary concerns, alleged favouritism and the recent move to deter staff from holding more than one job.

“People who used to take home R40 000 a month suddenly find themselves having to survive on R12 000 because of this one-man-one-job thing.

“Morale is at its lowest. It is really bad because we have expensive houses and cars. How do they expect us to cope,” said a disgruntled employee.

Many of them have fingered the perceived autocratic management style of embattled news boss Snuki Zikalala as the main reason for their discomfort.

While the SABC board wanted the leadership style to change, as recommended by the recent Sisulu Commission of Inquiry into the blacklisting of political commentators, they wanted Zikalala to stay.

In October last year, SABC group chief executive Dali Mpofu was expected to take disciplinary action against Zikalala.

This came after it emerged that he had breached the broadcaster’s policy on balance in news and current affairs by blacklisting certain commentators thought to be critical of President Thabo Mbeki.

Asked if he had taken any steps against Zikalala,Mpofu said: “No employee is untouchable.”

He said he had taken the necessary steps against Zikalala but would not go into details as they concerned an individual.

“We have accepted the recommendations of the commission and are busy implementing all of them,” said Mpofu.

While the corporation’s bigwigs attended the indaba to discuss the brain drain and other issues, disgruntled employees held a farewell party in Auckland Park on Friday night.

Meanwhile, City Press understands that the SABC is in a fix as it has not advertised the positions of the departing presenters.

It also has no emergency plan for a smooth transition while it hunts for new staff.

But spindoctor Kaizer Kganyago insisted the indaba had nothing to do with the latest crisis and that there was no pressing need to advertise as the SABC had other talented employees within.

“Mass exodus only happened in the Bible.

“The departure of 10 people is not a mass exodus. We try to keep those that we can and those that we can’t keep, we just have to replace. We wish them well but we will continue to deliver on our mandate,” he said.

Reporter Chauke, who made his mark by covering war-ravaged African zones including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said he got fed-up after management overlooked him for the new post of bureau chief in the DRC.

Mkhokheli Thanda, who sources claimed was news boss Zikalala’s favourite candidate, got the job.

Chauke told City Press that his woes had been worsened by the fact that management had failed to restructure his salary for five years.

“They have killed my passion for journalism and this is my departure from the mainstream media,” he said.

Most of the disgruntled employees are joining CNBC Africa while others have opted for government and private-sector posts.

Kganyago insisted that any disgruntled employee had the right to use internal means to voice any unhappiness they had against Zikalala.

“If they are not happy with the internal processes, they can go to the highest level and raise issues with group CEO (Dali Mpofu) who I am sure would have looked at their concerns,” he said.


 * From: http://www.news24.com/City_Press/News/0,7515,186-187_2078073,00.html**

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