Presenter tells why she quit

The SABC's refusal to allow presenter Florence Letoaba to hire a producer to "lighten the burden" on her was cited yesterday as the reason she suddenly quit the SABC3 current affairs show Interface.

Letoaba had replaced Eusebius McKaiser, who resigned in July.

McKaiser said in a note on Facebook that the broadcaster wanted to pay him "a mere R4000 a month" as producer and presenter. "I had no choice but to resign. The alternative is to undervalue my professional skill set and my dignity."

Letoaba, a former MetroFM newsreader, said she told SABC management that her two production companies, which she runs with two business partners, were her priorities and therefore producing the show was not in her interest.

The producer of the show is also the presenter.

Letoaba said: "I realised that there were not any producers and when I requested one to lighten the burden I was told this would not happen, I therefore resigned."

But executive producer Themba Jacobs said he and two "very experienced and dedicated researchers" had done the legwork on the weekly show, suggesting that being a producer was not that strenuous a job.

"We actually spoon-feed the presenters. [McKaiser] had the capacity and good research skills, so he was able to generate content as well. As far as [Letoaba is concerned], we gave her support, we sent tons and tons of research, and sat down with her every time."

Jerome Topley, who presented Praat Saam met Jerome on Afrikaans station Radio Sonder Grense, is the new presenter of Interface and made his debut on Sunday.