City Press reports that the SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has filed papers in the Labour Court to sack 28 staffers who were promoted or appointed irregularly during the time of former chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng.  

But the staffers and their unions are ready to take the fight back to the public broadcaster, arguing that they are being made scapegoats.  In an affidavit before the court, SABC group HR executive, Jonathan Thekiso, fingered Motsoeneng and other senior personnel who have since left the SABC as the architects of “irregular and unlawful” appointments and promotions.  Thekiso said the court action to reverse the appointments was aimed at addressing the crisis (mostly financial) facing the broadcaster, and that this was part of a series of critical interventions by the SABC’s new board aimed at restoring the integrity, stability and proper functioning of the SABC.  Besides setting aside the appointments, the broadcaster wants these “to be declared unlawful and invalid”; the employees to “immediately vacate the positions”; and those who oppose the action to pay for legal costs.  Thekiso claimed that competent and qualified individuals were overlooked or their applications were declined.  But the unions have criticised the selection of the 28 names that the broadcaster wants axed, chosen from a list of about 120 irregular appointments disclosed when the SABC attempted to institute a section 189 action.  “There are claims from some of the respondents that they have been targeted.  There seems to be a drive to get rid of the Hlaudi ghosts, regardless of whether they are good or bad,” a source commented.

• Read the full original of the above report by Abram Mashego, Charl Blignaut and Daniel Mothawagae at City Press

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