#SABC blames non-payment of salaries on bank error

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Johannesburg - The SABC has blamed the non-payment of staff salaries on a technical glitch from a bank that was supposed to put the money into staff members' accounts. This was after thousands of SABC staffers woke up on Tuesday morning to discover that they had not been paid their January salaries. Speaking to The Star on Tuesday, spokesperson Neo Momodu said the SABC has money and the salaries would definitely be paid before the end of the day. She said the SABC's coffers have not run dry. "What the SABC would like to place on record is that the salaries were paid to the bank. There's a technical glitch at the bank which has resulted in the salaries not being paid. "We are trying to resolve this with the bank and as soon as that is resolved - which will be in a matter of hours - staff will receive their salaries.

"The money was paid on the usual day that the SABC does, knowing that it should reflect on the 29th. It didn't do so," she said.

Asked when the money was paid to the bank, Momodu declined to say.

"I can't give you the date at this stage, it's something that the finance department always does."

Momodu also declined to give the name of the bank at blame for the non-payment of thousands of its workers.

"Well, I'm not going to mention the financial institution. We do not like to talk about our stakeholders publicly. We are involved in this matter with the bank and we are assured that the matter is being attended to."

The Star could not also get an answer on whether all the staffers use the same bank as the line was cut off and Momodu didn't respond to an sms on the matter.

Since last year, rumours has been swirling that there SABC's coffers were running dry.

In Decembers, its chairperson, Bongumusa Makhathini accused the government of failing to help the struggling national broadcaster by not responding to requests for a government guarantee.

Makhathini also said the SABC board had projected that the broadcaster would run out of money by the end of March.

The Star