Withdrawal of SABC Bill ‘safeguards’ broadcaster’s future
Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi says the SABC Bill does not serve the long-term interests of the public broadcaster and citizens.
The SABC expects to incur a R590 million financial loss for the 2024/2025 financial year, from a R1.1 billion loss in 2023/2024.
Malatsi has withdrawn the bill from Parliament, stating that the current version does not adequately address a credible funding model to ensure the broadcaster’s sustainability.
”We need a strong financial foundation so that the SABC can inform, educate and entertain South Africans without political or financial pressures,” Malatsi said.
“This decision safeguards the future of an institution that reaches every corner of our nation, ensuring a strong and independent SABC, which is a pillar of our democracy.”
However, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, has expressed concern at the decision.
The committee’s chairperson, Khusela Diko, said the challenges facing the SABC “require a considered and urgent response, not trigger-happy action, which serves no purpose but to frustrate and disrupt processes already underway”.
She added that the public broadcaster could not be allowed to fail because its demise would spell unmitigated disaster.
