Millions of indigent South Africans who rely on SABC television and radio stations for entertainment are likely to be deprived of their right to watch the friendly international match between Bafana Bafana and Zambia on Saturday due to the broadcaster’s failure to pay royalties to the South African Football Association (Safa).
The game, which will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha in Eastern Cape, is hanging in the balance due to the SABC’s failure, for the umpteenth time, to fulfil its financial obligation to the national association.
According to a Safa national executive committee (NEC) member, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, the South African soccer controlling body claims that the SABC owes it over R25-million in broadcasting rights for the past year.
Safa said the SABC has not remitted payment since it entered into the new three-year TV broadcast contract last year.
The financially struggling association is up in arms over this and has given the tardy national broadcaster an ultimatum: pay the moolah or face a blackout.
It is widely reported and known that both organizations are undergoing monetary difficulties, and the blackout will surely result in a huge outcry from the soccer-loving public.
This week, to make a statement, Safa fired a warning shot in the air when, for the first time since Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos took over, it declined to host its Bafana squad announcement at the SABC headquarters in Auckland Park.
Broos named his squad for the Zambia game at Safa House, next to Nasrec.
This, according to the NEC member, highlights and substantiates the impasse between the two entities. They also claim that the SABC is the main contributor to Safa’s financial woes, and instead of working together the public broadcaster attacks and embarrasses them on their various platforms, such as the sport website and several radio stations.
“How do you go on air and lambast your partners? It does not make sense, especially when you know they have not paid what is due or met your contractual obligation. It’s just ludicrous.
“They are just being unfair and not meeting their side of the deal.
They got away with the recent World Cup qualifiers because with those matches, they deal directly with CAF and Fifa, now they have to deal with us,” said the informer.
Said SABC head of communication Mmoni Ngubane: “The SABC and Safa enjoy a long-standing partnership focused on delivering South African football to audiences across the country.
“The corporation does not discuss the details of confidential commercial agreements in the media and will therefore not entertain assertions or speculation relating to such matters. The SABC remains committed to working closely with Safa to ensure that national football continues to be accessible to all South Africans everywhere.”
Approached for comment, Safa said that it does not discuss its relationships with its partners and sponsors with the media.
