PROTEST THEATRE OUTSIDE SABC
Posted on 8/27/2009 at 11:08:06 AM
[FADE IN:]
There’s something ominous in the air outside SABC’s Radio Park. A crowd of bystanders mills about in the early afternoon sun; some wield cameras, others swing booms, a few clutch at notepads while the rest look on in heightened expectation. A sudden hush descends as a solemn procession of mourners cuts through the crowd to form a wide circle on the tarmac. They’re clad in black and carry placards bearing similar laments… ‘SABC killing our stories, Save Our Shows, SABC killing culture…’ Nothing happens for several pregnant beats and then… a cloaked, hulking figure strides into the circle in a cloud of jaundiced smoke. Beneath the hood and flyaway hair, there are no features… only a skeletal grimace. The figure, however, is not some mythical reaper, but the SABC incarnate…
Out of the billowing smoke, a mournful rendition of ‘Senzeni Na?!’ (What have we done?!) begins and five more figures enter the circle. They too are clad in black and hold nooses above their heads. The dirge continues as they take centre stage, standing shoulder to shoulder. Individually they are: ‘Skills’, ‘Culture’, ‘Story’, ‘Jobs’ and ‘Viewers’, collectively they are the condemned. As one man, they drop to their knees, slip the nooses around their necks and await their fate…
Their executioner sets to work without reservation or hesitation. One by one the nooses are wrenched tight, one by one, their victims strike the pavement, until finally, the singing surrenders to silence and the massacre is complete…
[FADE OUT]
And that about sums up the afternoon folks! You had to be there to fully appreciate it, of course but I hope I’ve given you some idea of what you missed out on. The above scenario took about two minutes, after which, reporters went through the crowd taking statements and shooting interviews. Thanks to everyone who pitched and an even bigger thanks to those who spoke to the press, (myself included obviously, ahem, ahem… incidentally, that’s me being well hung… er… hanged in one of the opening pics if anyone’s interested… no? Oh okay, moving on…)
Although the turnout wasn’t as massive as I’d anticipated, (why are people so reluctant to get involved, dammit?! It’s your livelihoods on the line too, you know!) the day was still a resounding success in my opinion! Special thanks to director Tim Greene for putting together such a moving piece, the actors (Garth Collins, Rosie Motene, Hanli Rolfes Opperman, Sibulele Gcilitshana and Paul) who played The Executioner, Jobs, Stories, Skills and Viewers respectively, and let me play ‘Culture’ alongside them, (what giddy fun!)
Thanks also to the picketers / mourners for showing up in black and delivering brilliant performances for the cameras and of course, a big thank you to Natasje and Thandi for all their organising and hair-pulling. Finally, a special word of thanks to Charl Blignaut and the resources of Moja Movie, Karima and the resources of Curious Pictures and Carlynn from Contractors for lobbying the acting fraternity.
I know the blood sweat and tears of a lot more people went into making today happen so thanks a bunch to all of you and let’s hope we’ve made some headway… See y’all on the news tonight I hope!
Peace, lurve and death by hanging,
Ryan.
August 27th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Hi there…
is this site a aggregator ora blog for writers? is there any way i can contribute articles?
Also, I am looking for contact details of the people in charge of WGSA because I run a live film forum called simply, The Forum (www.theforumsa.com) and we are putting together our next panel on Story for the 1st of october.
any help?!! thanks alot for this site.
August 27th, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Nice one Ryan – and sooooo fast too!
August 27th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Ta veri moochly! Can’t wait to get some pictures to put up too.
August 27th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
http://www.zoopy.com/video/1gf6/sabc-prtoest-cutting-local-content?browse=o
August 27th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
SABC has no money, they bigger then us, lets move on, you wasting time on giants, if they close good, a new broadcaster will emerge
August 27th, 2009 at 7:56 pm
SABC has crap shows anyway, let the sabc shut down, hoping for the day
August 27th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
“they bigger then us, lets move on, you wasting time on giants”
I believe people used to say that about Apartheid John.
August 27th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
You’re obviously not part of the industry, John. It’s all very well to say let them shut down but what do you propose the 80,000 + who’ll suddenly find themselves unemployed do to survive? And considering the current economic situation, how do you propose South Africa cope, when a 6 billion Rand industry suddenly folds? The SABC is NOT bigger than us, it is ACCOUNTABLE to us. You might want to remember that the next time you throw up complacent hands and share a completely unfounded opinion…
August 28th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Did anyone see this on the news? I watched the news at 7 on E and SABC 3 with no luck… Did I just miss it or aren’t we newsworthy?!
August 28th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
On front page of star
August 28th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Also
Local artists protest SABC cuts
Dispatch Online – 5 hours ago
ACTORS, producers, writers and directors demonstrated yesterday against the SABC’s planned R500 million cut of local content. The protesters, from the …
http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=340926
‘SABC killing SA culture’
Independent Online – 21 hours ago
A group of actors, producers and directors demonstrated on Thursday against the SABC’s planned R500-million cut of local content. The protesters, from the …
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3015&art_id=nw20090827141833181C315873
TV industry worried about budget cut
Primedia Broadcasting – Eyewitness News – 4 hours ago
The television industry says a proposed massive budget cut by the SABC in local content will severely impact on South Africa ’s rich culture. …
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=20753
‘SABC is killing us’
Sowetan – Itumeleng Tau – 4 hours ago
ABOUT 100 independent producers and actors protested outside the SABC offices in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, yesterday against the broadcaster’s “budget …
http://www.sowetan.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1056537
SABC demos protest cuts
journalism.co.za – 7 hours ago
PROTESTING actors acted out death scenes outside the SABC offices in Auckland Park to symbolise how the public broadcaster’s planned local content budget …
http://www.journalism.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2583&Itemid=37
SABC lambasted by protesters
Citizen – Will Gant – 14 hours ago
JOHANNESBURG – Actors, directors and producers demonstrated outside the head- quarters of the SABC yesterday at the cancellation of dozens of new television …
http://www.citizen.co.za/index/article.aspx?pDesc=104034,1,22
Government urged to rescue public broadcaster
Primedia Broadcasting – Eyewitness News – 17 hours ago
Protesters from the Television Industry Emergency Coalition have called on government to come to the rescue of the cash strapped South African Broadcasting …
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=20703
Actors send SOS to govt
Primedia Broadcasting – Eyewitness News – 21 hours ago
Influential and popular members of the television industry have taken their acting to new heights outside the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s …
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=20677
The public broadcaster to face more protests
Primedia Broadcasting – Eyewitness News – Aug 27, 2009
TV industry workers are to protest at the sabc’s Auckland Park offices on Thursday against a planned multimillion rand cut of local content budgets. …
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/articleprog.aspx?id=20660
Curtain falls on local TV
The Times – 12 hours ago
FORMER Generations actress Rosie Motene, talk-show host Kgomotso Matsunyane and Gladiator Garth Collins joined a dramatic protest outside the Johannesburg …
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=1056639
SABC ’spending 10% on local content’
Business Day – Jocelyn Newmarch – 4 hours ago
THE SABC spends less than 40% of its budget to put content on screens, an independent producer has charged. The TV production industry, which relies on the …
http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/Content.aspx?id=79827
August 28th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
And from Screen Africa – editors Comment
Murder most foul’ is a description used by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and which perhaps best describes what took place in front of the SABC high rise building in Auckland Park, Johannesburg, this Thursday.
‘SABC – Killing stories’ and ‘SABC – Killing culture’ was the wording on some of the boards held up by actors, producers, writers and directors who demonstrated yesterday against the public broadcaster’s planned R500m cut on local content. Also present was Michael Lee, in the 18th day of his hunger protest against the SABC.
The SABC was represented as an executioner who tied a noose around the necks of actors wearing T-Shirts with words such as ‘Culture’, ‘Stories’, ‘Viewers’, ‘Skills’, ‘Jobs’. As the hanging took place, actors chanted mournfully.
The protesters, from the Television Industry Emergency Coalition (TVIEC), also danced and sang “What have we done?” outside SABC’s headquarters.
And indeed what has the independent production community done to deserve the callous and highhanded action of the SABC which has seen it seek to get out of its financial debacle by a proposed turn-around plan to save R500m at the expense of the independent production industry? SABC management have laid before the interim SABC board a plan to decrease its financial exposure by R500m with a postponement or deferment of all existing and renewable contracts and to freeze calls for proposals for productions in 2010. This action threatens the very survival of the television production industry and the demise of popular programmes which is why many viewers still switch on to SABC channels.
And what was the response of the SABC to the fact that many people (the figure is estimated at 88 000 by the South African Screen Federation) will be unemployed over the next 18 months? SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago had this to say: “They are independent producers. It’s really unfortunate that their companies are losing money when they should have planned for such situations. We are in a financial crisis, trying to settle past debts, so we can start afresh with them.” (The Times).
What an arrogant response, we say. How were producers to realise the extent of the financial and administrative mismanagement of the previous SABC board, executives and managers? How were they supposed to anticipate that the SABC would be encumbered with debt of R800m of their own making? Were producers supposed to believe that the SABC would not honour what they owed production companies for work done? If the government bails the SABC out with R2bn, can we trust the SABC not to squander the money on management salaries, bonuses, and international jaunts as was the case before?
Producers will not be able to “start afresh” as Kganyao so blithely intimates. You cannot revive an industry which has been financially undermined, just like that.
From the editor Screen Africa
August 28th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Excellent! I can’t believe the gall of Kaizer Kganyago though! What a heap of you know what!!!
August 28th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Jammer mense, but let us put it this way, we not fighting for freedom, when someone doent have money, they dont have money, carry on the fight lets see how far it goes, no money, no mey, if someone wants money from you and you dont have any what do do, wat wil jy he??? the people to be prosecutec ill that make u happy
August 28th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
John = Troll.
Fact
September 1st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
John < Troll.
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