/ 25 March 2011

SABC staffers bust in bribe sting

Six SABC staff members were suspended this week after being captured on camera in a “sting”, in which one of them allegedly asked for a R200 000 bribe in return for a promotional sports production contract.

An SABC source said that one of the smaller production companies had contacted the SABC to inform the public broadcaster that it had been asked for a bribe. “They asked for permission to set up cameras and to film a meeting they were going have with an SABC team in a Johannesburg coffee bar,” said the SABC source. “We told them to go ahead.”

The M&G understands that among those suspended was an official of the Media Workers’ Association of South Africa (Mwasa) and a senior SABC manager, whose names are known to the M&G. The names of the other staff members could not be confirmed at the time of going to press.

On Wednesday Mwasa circulated a letter at the SABC saying that two of its members, who were among those suspended this week, had lodged grievances against the SABC, according to another SABC insider.

They had also made a “proper disclosure”, the letter stated. It is understood that the production contract under discussion was a small one by SABC standards, with a value of around R500 000, according to the SABC source.

The special investigating unit has now been called in to investigate how contracts are procured at the broadcaster and to look at the internal auditing processes.

“This is a significant breakthrough for us,” said a high-ranking SABC source. “We will now get to the bottom of the internal problems we have been having in procurement.”

SABC spokesperson Kaiser Kganyago said he could not comment on an “employer/employee issue”.