Parliament Urges Urgent Investment to Save SABC from Collapse
Parliament wants urgent rescue of SABC. (The Magazine)
by Kelebogile Matlou
Khusela Sangoni-Diko, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, has urged the government to invest urgently in the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), warning that jobs, livelihoods, and the long-term viability of both public and community broadcasting are at risk. She made the call at this week’s economic cluster chairpersons’ media conference, which was themed ‘Opening New Economic Opportunities.’
Sangoni-Diko said that the problem is escalating with Sentech, the business responsible for distributing the SABC’s TV and radio transmissions, losing more than R70 million each month due to the broadcaster’s unpaid distribution expenses. “Sentech has threatened to cut off the SABC signal distribution because they can no longer carry the debt,” she said, adding that both corporations have stated that they may not be able to continue operating after December 2025 in their existing position.
The SABC’s financial problems arise from an antiquated funding mechanism based on TV licenses, widespread nonpayment, and mounting debt. Bailouts have kept the broadcaster afloat, but Sangoni-Diko claims it is hampered by outmoded infrastructure and a failure to modernise.
“The SABC has not had a technology infrastructure refresh in more than a decade. The government is responsible for investing in and recapitalizing this asset as needed. The time for decisive action is now,” Sangoni-Diko said.
The SABC Bill, proposed in October 2023 to address the situation by introducing a new funding model, did not provide an immediate answer, instead setting a three-year timetable to develop an alternative. This delay worsened the SABC’s issues. Sangoni-Diko criticized the lack of urgency, saying, “We are urging the minister once again to finalise this process and not hide behind bureaucratic red tape.”
Solly Malatsi, Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, recently indicated that his department will appoint a service provider to build a sustainable funding model following the withdrawal of the SABC Bill last year. However, the committee has urged the department to collaborate with the National Treasury to seek immediate investment in the national broadcaster.
According to Sangoni-Diko, preserving the SABC means preserving not only a public institution but also South Africans’ access to a variety of viewpoints, trustworthy information, and community broadcasting.
