A total of 621 SABC employees will lose their jobs from the end of March, after the broadcaster concluded its contentious restructure process, which was heavily criticised by labour unions.
The public broadcaster which is battling financial challenges said on Tuesday the process, which gained momentum last year, and threatened a broadcast blackout had been concluded, with 346 employees opting for severance packages and the other 275 made redundant.
The company said "the total number of employees who will leave the organisation at the end of March 2021 is 621" in a process that the CEO Madoda Mxakwe described as "extremely difficult" and which "became emotionally charged at times".
"The process was necessary to preserve and reposition the SABC as a resilient and viable public broadcaster and public media organisation," he said.
The SABC started issuing redundancy notices to staff in June 2020, prompting resistance from unions members who challenged the process in court and threatened to strike.