by Thinus Ferreira

“Mass retrenchments” are looming at eMedia Investments’ eNCA (DStv 403) TV news channel in South Africa according to insiders, affecting staffers in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban across various workflow divisions that will see scores of people lose their jobs in so-called “consolidation” of work responsibilities.

eNCA staffers once again reiterated the ongoing refrain, heard constantly again since last month, without prompting, when they talk: “Staff morale is at an all-time low” inside the TV news channel. 

According to sources, just 11 out of eNCA’s 25 long-form and news video editors are safe, with the newsroom that has moved to a system where producers, writers and reporters have to do their own editing, making video editors obsolete.

Sources told TVwithThinus that eNCA staffers were called to a meeting on On Wednesday morning in Johannesburg where the mass retrenchment process was announced by Norman Munzhelele affecting eNCA staffers across Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town.

eNCA plans “consolidation” broadly across five different workflow areas.

Norman Munzhelele’s plan is to “consolidate” the desk editor and programme editor positions at eNCA, meaning that basically the programme editors will be lumped together with desk editor
duties.

“Consolidation” is also coming to producers and guest bookers – with the result that guest bookers will lose their jobs.

The company has also adopted a new archive strategy that will result in archive
team staffers getting axed.

The plan is further to integrate sports into news which could mean that the sports news team will face job cuts too.

Then eNCA wants to “drive efficiencies” in Cape Town and Durban – meaning that staff working in those cities will likely see their job numbers cut.

According to sources in the past few weeks a desk editor, assignment editor
and programme editor resigned at eNCA.

“eNCA is bleeding staff as it is, but they’re
cutting even more,” said another insider. “Staff morale is at an all-time low.”