Monday, May 15, 2017

SABC advertises for positions of CEO, COO, head of SABC radio and audit boss - in print - a year after saying it won't place ads in print media anymore.


The beleaguered South African public broadcaster is advertising for a new chief executive officer and a new chief operating officer - and in print - a year after announcing its ditching external media for job ads.

On Sunday the SABC paid for placed advertisements in English South African newspapers like The Sunday Times and City Press exactly a year after SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago in April 2016 said that the embattled broadcaster has "decided that it will advertise its employment vacancies and tender advertisements on the SABC's television, radio and digital platforms only".

At the time the SABC said "this decision will be implemented with immediate effect; the public broadcaster will no longer place advertisements in any print and other media platforms".

On Sunday the SABC said its looking for a new permanent CEO, COO, chief audit executive and a head of SABC radio - positions that had been vacant for months at the broke broadcaster that's lurching from crisis to crisis and asked Treasury last week for another mega bailout.

The closing date for applications for these positions are 26 May 2017 and enquiries about the positions can be made to Mosima Selekisho at mosimas@talent-africa.co.za and telephone 011 771 4800.

Notably the position of SABC COO - formerly occupied by the famously matricless and controversial Hlaudi Motsoeneng currently suspended and facing a new disciplinary hearing this week - requires candidates now to have "a relevant post-graduate qualification", 10 years experience in the broadcasting industry of which 5 years must be at executive level in the media industry.

The SABC last advertised for a CEO seven months ago in October 2016 but no appointment was made after the broadcaster fired Frans Matlala who was allegedly axed because he helped National Treasury with an investigation into Hlaudi Motsoeneng's procurement of a multi-million rand studio that was constructed without having been put out to tender.

The new SABC CEO - the troubled public broadcaster has gone through 11 since 2009 with James Aguma as the latest acting CEO - faces one the biggest challenges in the corporation's history with the SABC again on the brink of financial collapse as it was seven years ago when it got a R1.47 billion government bailout.

The SABC only has R110 million the bank, recorded a massive loss of R509 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and its losses in the three quarters of 2016/2017 now stands at over R1 billion - its biggest loss in a financial year.

For months, since February, the SABC has been unable to pay content producers and struggling South African production companies what they're due, with the new minister of communications, Ayanda Dlodlo who will be meeting with the Independent Producers' Organisation (IPO) this week.