In view of the present crisis within the SABC, the South African Screen Federation (SASFED), representing 17 professional bodies in the film and TV industry:

1) Supports the role of the SABC as a public broadcaster committed to quality local programming.

2) Believes political interference has undermined the original public service mandate of the SABC.

3) Sees the existing crisis as symptom of a long standing operational dysfunctionality.

4) We independent filmmakers who make most of South Africa’s TV programmes, experience daily the ineffective management which undermines our capacity to produce challenging and high quality programming for the South African public.

We wish to see the SABC functioning optimally, delivering on its public mandate, and to its audience (the public of South Africa). Further we wish the SABC to allow us, independent producers of this country, to carry on the business of producing content to meet these requirements in an effective and efficient way, based on global business norms for our industry, which continue to elude us due to the above.

Rehad Desai

South African Screen Federation Chairperson (on behalf of all 17 affiliated bodies)