SABC faces court battle for R37m allegedly owed to producers

SABC offices in Auckland, Johannesburg.

SABC offices in Auckland, Johannesburg.

Published Sep 9, 2021

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DURBAN - THE SABC risks being dragged to court for allegedly failing to pay R37 million to one of its clients who did work for the entity.

Producers Portia Ndlovu and her husband Owen are at loggerheads with the state broadcaster after a deal went sour as the SABC allegedly refused to pay the couple for work done in 2014.

The Ndlovus claimed they came up with a concept for the SABC which it apparently approved, and they produced a magazine show that aired on all 11 SABC radio stations.

“Among other things, we were required to produce a theme/signature song for the show and the SABC initially paid R1m in 2015. Again in 2015, they paid us R2m for royalties, but failed to pay the rest of the money owed to us,” said Owen Ndlovu.

Portia said she was disgusted by the SABC’s conduct.

“They are undermining us because we are black and they’d rather delay us than pay us what is due to us. We have been sent back and forth by the people at the SABC. All we want is our money which we worked for and we will do whatever it takes to get what belongs to us.”

A letter of demand to the SABC from the Ndlovus’ lawyers, Machaba Attorneys, read: “In 2011, Dr Irvin Khoza representing the Premier Soccer League (PSL) and Hlaudi Motsoeneng signed a PSL/SABC trade exchange deal where the SABC was going to get the PSL soccer rights for radio and PSL would get airtime to market and promote soccer on 11 radio stations.”

The lawyers said that one of the elements of the deal was the PSL Sekunjalo Soccer Show which aired on all 11 radio stations once a week.

“In 2014, our client was instructed by both the PSL and SABC to produce all the elements of the radio show including promos as well as the theme song. In the very same year, our client was given a contract to produce a theme song.

“The show (which the couple owns) was paid in full for the theme song, however that was not the same for the jingles and imaging. Our client was surprised because all the processes for this payment were done,” read the letter.

The lawyers demanded the SABC pay R37m or be taken to court for failing to do so.

Approached for comment, the SABC’s group executive for corporate affairs and marketing, Gugu Ntuli said: “The SABC can confirm receipt of a letter from Mr Ndlovu’s attorneys and we will respond to it in due course and not through the media. It is also imperative to note that the SABC has not received any summons from the attorneys and therefore we have no summons to respond to.”

Daily News

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