The broadcaster contends that they were appointed without following proper procedures during the tenure of former chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
FILE: The SABC headquarters in Auckland Park. Picture: SABC
EDITOR’S NOTES: The article originally stated that the SABC had dismissed employees. This has been corrected below.
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has now confirmed that 13 employees have received letters from the corporation after their appointments were called into question but it has declined to say whether they have been dismissed or where they stand with the corporation.
Earlier this year, the SABC turned to the Labour Court to review and set aside the appointment of 27 employees.
The broadcaster contends that they were appointed without following proper procedures during the tenure of former chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
However, the corporation was unsuccessful in its court application.
Eyewitness News is in possession of an internal letter addressed to staff stating that all those affected received letters on Monday.
It said that the irregular appointments denied other staff members equitable and fair access to compete for appointments.
Sources within the SABC said that the public broadcaster was forced to broadcast seminars after presenter Palesa Chubisi was given her dismissal letter while on air in the afternoon.
Busisiwe Ntuli of the SABC News Forum said they were shocked.
“Our view is that the manner in which this presenter was taken off air is inhumane and we believe that we actually thought that this kind of behaviour was a thing of the past.”
She said that staff facing possible retrenchment were already worried.
“And so we are calling to the SABC to exercise some sort of humanity especially in the context of the Section 189 discussions where people are already worried.”