“All terms and conditions informing the nature of this type of contract are free and voluntary.”
The SABC has condemned Pastor Mtukisi Phaleni's comments at the memorial service for Umhlobo Wenene FM presenter Nomonde Vakarisa.
Read more: Umhlobo Wenene FM presenter, Pastor Nomondo Vakarisa dies
Vakarisa's memorial service was held on Tuesday at Nangoza Jebe Hall (Centenary Hall) in Port Elizabeth.
In his address at the service, Reverend Falleni claimed that Ms Vakalisa had worked for the SABC for nine months before her death, but was unpaid due to the nature of her employment.
He added: “This is the problem with the SABC. Nomond's child will get nothing because Nomond has only worked for nine months. Those in power must see this. This is worse than apartheid. That’s terrible.”
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SABC response to Pastor Fareni
The SABC subsequently issued a statement calling Fareni's comments divisive and misleading.
The public broadcaster explained that Vakarisa was working as an independent contractor rather than a full-time employee, emphasizing that independent contractors are not subject to the same labor laws as full-time employees.
The broadcaster also said Ms Vakarisa had never expressed dissatisfaction with the contract and the company had fully fulfilled its obligations to her.
“All terms and conditions informing the nature of this type of contract are freely and voluntarily agreed to by the parties involved.
“Therefore, it is disingenuous for anyone to mislead the public, as Pastor Falleni did, by giving the impression that freelancers can only learn about the terms of their contracts when they are sick or no longer here. Yes,” the statement said. Read.
The SABC also pointed out that the pastor himself previously had a similar free contract with the broadcaster.
“The person who is raising this issue in such an unfortunate and misleading manner has previously been able to continue working full-time by entering into and signing a similar freelance contract with the SABC. It's a shame that I would have had the benefit of working for another public sector organization or enjoying the flexibility that a freelance contract offers. ”
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