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When state institutions such as the SABC and Eskom start gobbling up public money, it is evidence of a dangerous approach taking root within the state.
Instead of introducing competition and efficiency, the state looks to the tax-payer to fund the shortfall. The money does not result in an improvement in the institution, instead it trains the institution to expect bail-outs to subsidise its inefficiencies.
The SABC illustrates this very well. Now government is considering a 1% tax on the public to fund the institution which is manifestly unable to run its books, control its spending or stop corruption.
Instead of wading into Auckland Park with auditors and prosecutors in tow to stop the rot, the taxpayer is being asked to finance it!
What will the outcome be? Wonderfully insightful and delightful television and radio? Better programming? Marvellous documentaries? Fantastic local productions by a thriving industry that gets paid on time?
I don’t think so. The outcome will be MORE ROT which will be rewarded by ever more “financing”.
What is patently obvious is that the SABC is bloated, its staff are overpaid and its money is being stolen.
That a 1% increase in tax can be considered in the midst of a difficult economy is absolutely daft.
Somebody please smell the Java.

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  3. SABC boss makes amazing admission: “I suck”
  4. Manuel must get to the bottom of pension scandal
  5. The rot at the SABC comes pouring out

 

Comments

 

Larry Goodfella

November 2, 2009 at 9:04 am

Too busy gobbling gravy to stop and smell the Java

 

Stuart

November 2, 2009 at 1:32 pm

It’s really frustrating that the government don’t see this.

How does etv manage to provide reasonably good programming, pay for exorbitant broadcasting rights and still manage to stay afloat on mostly advertising revenues?

Because they are leaner and meaner, and are able to prove that you can operate without tax payer money or license fees.

The agenda is so much deeper than ‘SABC has no money’

 

Rowbot

November 2, 2009 at 6:28 pm

Maybe we should ask the anc kindergarten to call for an advertising boycott on sabctv…imagine all that trash WITHOUT the ads…

 

Eli Jikelele

November 3, 2009 at 11:37 am

I like Rowbot’s suggestion. Let the SABC extinguish itself with the help of the ANCYL and leave the distressed taxpayers out of the equation.

Patronage, non-accountability and African-style governance are the root causes of this stinking rot.

 

Skodide Goodfella

November 3, 2009 at 6:07 pm

And of course the money that is available[if and when it is available] gets mainly used up for a lot of trashy local content which really does not allow an average IQ to even start up between one and two so maybe they must be left without cash and we can watch some more repeats of better quality imported shows at a fraction of the cost.
Fact; ETv only budget from income generated from advertisements and other royalties. What is then the diffs between running of ETv and SABC? Simple, management. Larry hit the nail on the head elsewhere when he said that there are folk who have been practicing correctness of habit and life style for eons,and have with other words inbred “blessings”. Others have not got it and will never have it.

 

Rowbot

November 4, 2009 at 9:06 pm

Let me add a little here to this: I love locally produced content, albeit open to artsy fartsy critique…but I do wonder where all the bux have gone…is it not so: that all of our local sabctv stuff is backed up by ad revenue, right? Or is it only via: “Pay your TV Liscence NOW mthfkker!”
I am just asking here..

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    I am Ray Hartley, the editor of The Times, South Africa, a daily newspaper which was launched in June 2007 under the Sunday Times umbrella. I'm also the editor of Times LIVE.

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