The chair of the portfolio committee on communications and digital technologies, Khusela Diko, has admitted that she is among the many South Africans who owe the SABC money for TV licences, while urging others to settle their debts.
In a post on X, Diko encouraged citizens to comply.
“Let’s pay TV licences, guys,” she said.
Her remarks come after she initially responded to the broadcaster’s tweet regarding its decision to cut the political talk show Face the Nation.
“Ubabuze wena SABC if their TV licences are up to date bebuza kangaka. No up to date licence, no comment. Hence I reserve my comment. I am still trying to catch up on the amounts I owe,” said Diko at the time.
The controversy comes hot on the heels of reports that the show, hosted by Clement Manyathela, was being cancelled.
According to the Sunday Times, it’s being canned because ANC and senior government officials are unhappy with the tough questioning style of the programme.
I’ve paid R3k to date and am still hoping for a resolution. Pay your TV licence, it’s the right thing to do
— Khusela Diko
Manyathela has since confirmed that the prime-time show will not be renewed.
The decision to terminate the show sparked widespread debate on social media, with Diko acknowledging the criticism directed at her for her previous tweet.
“Jonga ngoku poster child and big advocate of the SABC being called out. I said this yesterday, I, like many South Africans, owe the SABC and we need to do right by them,” she said.
Diko said that she was working to resolve her outstanding debt with the broadcaster.
“I’ve been in constant communication with the SABC to resolve this matter. I am told I have a debt of over R10k which just does not make sense to me since the licence is R265 per annum,” she said.
Diko said she had paid an amount to try to settle the debt but it was not enough.
“I’ve paid R3k to date and am still hoping for a resolution. Pay your TV licence, it’s the right thing to do,” she said.
According to the SABC, first-time applicants must pay the full annual fee of R265, with renewals required before expiry.
The broadcaster also allows for monthly payments of R28 which include a small premium, bringing the annual cost to R336.
The SABC said it was imposing a penalty of 10% per month, capped at 100% a year, making timely payment or debit order arrangements the most convenient way to avoid additional charges.
Despite ongoing collection efforts, TV licence compliance is still a major challenge. In its 2024/25 annual report, the SABC revealed that only 15% of licence holders paid their fees during the financial year, a slight increase from 14% previously.
The broadcaster billed R4.936bn for TV licence fees but only R758m met the criteria for revenue recognition, resulting in an estimated R4.2bn loss due to non-payment.
Although TV licence revenue increased by 10% year-on-year, the SABC continues to face financial strain. It reported a net loss of R253.3m, worsening from the R197.8m loss recorded in the 2023/24 financial year.
TimesLIVE
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