SABC cancels Gupta breakfast show

The SABC has canned The New Age Business Breakfast, and its board has requested an SIU investigation into the broadcaster, reported the City Press.

This week’s broadcast of the Business Breakfast by the SABC was the last one. The New Age newspaper is owned by the Guptas.

Citing several sources, the report said the cancelling of The New Age Morning Live show, which broadcasts the breakfasts, was a long time coming.

According to the report, when the SABC first signed the contract with the The New Age, around five breakfasts were held a year. When Hlaudi Motsoeneng took over at the broadcaster, the number grew to 45 times per year.

One source said the SABC spent around R20 million on the outside broadcasts and did not make a cent of revenue from it.

Another source said the SABC doesn’t get a share of the sponsorship money the breakfast show gets, mostly from state-owned companies like Eskom, Telkom, and Transnet.

Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo recently told Parliament that under former Minister of Communications Faith Muthambi, the department spent R958,689.84 on the show in 2016.

Eskom paid R1.2 million per breakfast show from as early as 2014, the City Press reported.

SIU investigation

The City Press stated that the new SABC board is looking into where the broadcaster needs the help of the Hawks Special Investigating Unit (SIU) to uncover illegal activities.

They have sent a letter to Dlodlo, who must request to President Jacob Zuma that a declaration announcing an SIU investigation into the SABC be made.

The report follows the news that Dlodlo faces scrutiny for her name being mentioned in the recent Gupta email leaks over a trip to Dubai.