Executive wage bill ‘sinks SABC’

SAVE THE SHIP: ‘KEEP THE WORKERS, FIRE THE BOSSES’

They were worth R42.5 million

CEO earned R5.4m in 2019-20 – more than the state president’s R3.1m.

The exorbitant salaries of SABC executives have once more come under the spotlight after Freedom Front Plus (FF+) leader Dr Pieter Groenewald demanded the corporation’s executives must be fired, instead of the employees, to save costs.

“It has now reached a point where the price for the extravagance must be paid and suddenly those keeping the engine of the ship going – news readers, writers and technicians – are the ones being retrenched,” he said.

“Rather get rid of the top management and executive authority and reduce the inflated salaries.

That is the only way to save the SABC ship from going under.”

He demanded answers from Communications, Telecommunications and Postal Services Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on how the chief operating officer of the SABC earned more than the president of the country.

He cited the case of former SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng earning R4.2 million during the 2015-16 financial year when the broadcaster had a deficit of R411 million.

Ndaben i - Abr a hams claimed the executives deserved the R42.5 million they were paid in 2016.

Groenewald lashed out at the huge salaries paid by SABC executives when it was making a loss.

In the 2019-20 financial year, the SABC incurred a loss of more than R511 million, R292 million in irregular expenditure and R27 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure, with executives and directors getting R41.7 million.

A whopping R5.4 million went to group chief executive Madoda Mxakwe, with R3.2 million for chief financial officer Yolande van Biljon, and COO Ian Plaatjies received R1.4 million. Chair Bongumusa Makhathini was paid R957 000; deputy chair Mamodupi Mohlala-Mulaudzi R290 000, with R403 000 to R497 000 forked out to ordinary board members.

During a debate in parliament this week, Groenewald said he was concerned that some of the executives earned more than President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose salary amounted to R3.1 million.

“The FF+ has long pointed out that exorbitant salaries are a problem ... at all state institutions.

“This is a shining example of the gravy train.”