SABC triples its support of Gupta Media

18 May 2016

The SABC has spent close to a million on subscriptions to the Gupta-owned newspaper, The New Age (TNA), as revealed by a reply to a DA parliamentary question.

In response to a question about whether the Department of Communications and its entities were doing business with Gupta-owned companies, the Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi revealed that the SABC had concluded contracts with The New Age Media for newspaper subscriptions at a cost of R733, 930 since May 2014 to date. 

This amounts to a tripling in the SABC’s financial support of TNA from R238 356,52 in 2011.

It is deplorable that the SABC has completely disregarded the Finance Minister’s calls for austerity in order to financially anchor a newspaper with paltry readership, owned by the friends of President Zuma. 

I will be urging the Minister of Communications, Faith Muthambi, to instruct the SABC COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, to withdraw any active subscriptions with TNA. 

The SABC’s funds should be focused on growing the national broadcasters capacity and providing viewers with quality programming and not endless repeats. 

The gross extent of state capture by the Gupta’s is robbing our economy of alleviating poverty and unemployment in our economy. 

We will continue to fight to hold those responsible for wasteful spending at the SABC accountable. The people of South Africa need a national broadcaster that does not only serve the ANC cabal but all communities in our country.

Issued by Phumzile Van Damme, DA Shadow Minister of Communications, 18 May 2016