Hlaudi’s R167m Zuma TV deal

other business plans with smaller budgets sitting with GM TV finance office i.e. not getting signed”.

Another SABC staff member said: “Everything was put on hold to channel their budget to Uzalo. The SABC could produce about 20 programmes with R167-million.”

An industry insider said: “The average cost of a drama at SABC is R5-million. The average cost of a soap like Generations is about R80-million a year — and it is shown five nights a week and Uzalo is only shown three times a week.”

Approached for comment, Zuma-Ncube referred queries to Pokane.

Pokane said the SABC had offered Stained Glass Productions a three-year deal, but would not confirm it was for R167-million. “You would have to direct any questions about the SABC’s budgeting to the corporation itself,” he said.

He denied that he and ZumaNcube had complained to Motsoeneng when they heard Uzalo was not going to be recommissioned. “We received a letter of intent to recommission. Therefore, there was no need to complain to anyone. As I’m sure you’re aware, all manner of SABC producers and presenters meet with Mr Motsoeneng. No one gets special meeting privileges.”

Four of the review panel members — Clara Nzima, Maretha Bakkes, Vanessa Jansen and Reneilwe Sema — refused to comment this week. This is not the first time

Uzalo funding has caused controversy. The eThekwini municipality funded Stained Glass Productions with R5million last year amid protests from the opposition. This was after the company threatened to relocate filming from KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg in June last year unless the municipality gave it R11.5million.

The municipality added a further R3.5-million in February.