'Didn't Ace promise to stop retrenchments?' asks Mbhazima Shilowa after SABC job cuts

Former Gauteng premier Mbhazima Shilowa wants to know what happened to Ace Magashule's plan to help SABC employees after the public broadcaster retrenched over 600 workers on Wednesday.

The retrenchments at the public broadcaster have caught the attention of many politicians in recent months, including the ANC secretary-general, who said the ANC was against job cuts at the SABC.

In July last year, Magashule said the public broadcaster needed to be sensitive to the plight of employees. He said the company should reskill and retrain staff rather than retrench them.

Shilowa also questioned communications minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams who has been involved in talks with the SABC board over retrenchments.

Asked in an exclusive interview with the SABC in November last year whether the ruling party would consider reducing salaries of management to save jobs, the secretary-general responded: “I'm sure we can do that.

“The ANC mandate is that we must use our majority to align ourselves to the policy against retrenchments and outsourcing. This is the time to show solidarity with our employees at the SABC. Those are the deployees of the ANC.

“The ANC must start using its power now to run SA — without arrogance, but I think we should start showing that we are in charge of this country.”

Group CEO Madoda Mxakwe said in a letter confirming retrenchments of 621 employees the section 189 process was extremely difficult and emotionally charged, but it was necessary to ensure the broadcaster's long-term financial sustainability.