Privatisation should be a serious option in the SABC's turnaround strategy. Documents presented to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee of Communications today by the SABC team tasked with implementing the findings of the Auditor General's report into the state entity, stated that the "root causes of the findings are still prevalent'".

While acknowledging the efforts and commitment of the current SABC leadership to stitch together a revitalised corporation, I doubt whether the time and money spent on this will deliver a dynamic, profitable broadcaster any time soon.

Energy might be better spent on salvaging an operational core to honour its public broadcaster mandate and perhaps provide a platform for the proposed 24-hour news channel, as well as selling off the three TV channels and many radio stations to private entities. This would help significantly to energise the industry.

I believe the conversation around this option has to start soon to prevent public funds being plundered yet again to bail out the SABC, which continues to be poisoned by people who see the corporation as a cash cow.

In an impassioned introduction to the meeting, SABC board member Suzanne Vos said that,  despite the efforts of the board and new executive leadership, they still remained captive to certain  individuals within the corporation who do not appear to have the requisite capacity to carry out the work required of them, nor realise the urgency of the situation.

The SABC task team's report was a litany of serious operational failings that require urgent attention, two and a half years after the Auditor-General submitted a report on the disastrous state of governance at the corporation.  The report revealed an organisation that had become rotten from the top executive management right down to the administrative staff, who voraciously grabbed every opportunity to enrich themselves. 

I have no doubt that the SABC's executive management is committed to its daunting turnaround task. But they will be hard pressed to meet their deadlines while being undermined by greedy and undisciplined employees with a feeling of entitlement.

Relinquishing some of its television and radio channels could prove to be a liberating exercise for the broadcaster, and a welcome relief to the public purse.

Statement issued by Marian Shinn MP, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, March 6 2012

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