https://zimbabwe.misa.org Impact of Covid 19 on Media Sustainability persons.”46 No breakdown was given of what positions, so it is unknown how many journalists will be retrenched, but for a publishing and printing company to get rid of a quarter of its staff complement is a drastic step that is bound to affect the newspapers the company publishes and shows how other publishers, some of whom print their newspapers using Caxton presses, have fared and are expected to fare. because although it has to buy programme material to attract audiences its staff costs are disproportionate, with 40c out of every rand of revenue spent on staff costs and 28c on acquiring content.52 According to the SABC’s strategic plan, the Covid- 10 crisis had deeply reduced revenue and the parlous State finances would also affect both advertising revenue and TV licence revenue in future.53 The Covid-19 crisis forced Zambian publication The Daily Nation to cut staff by 50%, according to Editor Mary Mbewe.47The Namibian retrenched by a similar percentage.48 In Botswana, the government put a hold on retrenchments during the state of emergency, so news media job losses may still happen.49 In Zambia, too, the State media have been affected because though they are “anchored by the State” the state only bankrolls basic operational costs. Sometimes staffers go for several months without being paid at The Times of Zambia, and sometimes at Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation.”54 Job cuts are not confined to the private, independent news media, though State-owned news media may find it hard to retrench. The South African public broadcaster has for some time tried to undertake its own retrenchment process, in the teeth of political opposition, including from the Minister of Communications.50 The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s latest reported plan is to cut 600 permanent jobs and 1 200 freelance posts. 51 Already the recipient of R3.2 billion in a direct bail-out from government and therefore unable to ask for more from the cash-strapped state, the SABC has argued that it has no option but to retrench Salary cuts Newspapers around the region have resorted to salary cuts to save jobs. At the Namibian salary cuts were instituted, and waiver of benefits – one of which was the 13th cheque. 55 In South Africa, salary cuts, temporary layoffs, pension holidays and conversion of paid leave to salary were resorted to across the industry.56 The Caxton group - which has major printing and packaging operations as well as publishing country-wide free-sheets and one major newspaper - instituted cuts to salaries and wages across the group for a three-month period, together with employees taking their annual 46. SENS, “CAXTON & CTP Publishers and Printers Reviewed Provisional Results for the Year Ended 30 June 2020” (Stock Exchange News Service, September 21, 2020). 47. Simone Flueckiger, “African Publishers Adapting to Offset COVID-19 Challenges - World News Publishing Focus by WAN-IFRA,” September 21, 2020, https://blog.wan-ifra.org/2020/09/21/african-publishers-adapting- to-offset-covid-19-challenges. 48. Titus, Zoom interview Covid-19 impact Zoe Titus. 49. Konopo, Botswana INK media. 50. Bekezela Phakathi, “Ndabeni-Abrahams Halts SABC Job Cuts over Lack of Staff Consultation,” Business Live, August 26, 2020, https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2020-08-26-ndabeni-abrahams-halts-sabc-job- cuts-over-lack-of-staff-consultation/. 51. Staff Reporter, “EFF Condemns SABC Retrenchment Plans,” SABC News - Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader. June 20, 2020, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/ eff-condemns-sabc-retrenchment-plans/. 52. Thinus Ferreira, “TV with Thinus: SABC Now Spends Almost Double on Paying Staff than on Content - 40 Cents out of Every Rand Compared to 28; Says Its Revenue Is Already R1.5 Billion under Budget Because of Debilitating Impact of Covid-19 as Advertisers Withdraw Ad Spend.,” TV with Thinus (blog), May 20, 2020, http://teeveetee.blogspot.com/2020/05/sabc-now-spends-almost-doubleon-paying.html. 53. Rumney, “SANEF’S COVID 19 Impact on Journalism Report (Interim),” 20. 54. Mukela John, Managing partner, Makanday Centre for Investigative Journalism. 55. Titus, Zoom interview Covid-19 impact Zoe Titus. 56. Rumney, “SANEF’S COVID 19 Impact on Journalism Report (Interim),” 31. 15