THE SABC faces a new legal battle in its dispute with suspended journalists after it fired them last night.
SAfm current affairs executive producer Krivani Pillay, RSG executive editor Foeta Krige, senior investigative journalist Jacques Steenkamp and senior journalist Suna Venter were fired with immediate effect by the broadcaster.
Attorneys representing the axed SABC journalists have indicated that they will be taking the matter to the Labour Court as early as Thursday. They believe they have a strong case against the defiant broadcaster as the dismissals were viewed as being inconsistent with labour law.
Last week, lawyers representing eight suspended journalists at the SABC applied for direct access to the Constitutional Court.
Attorney Anton van der Bijl, head of the Labour Court Department at trade union Solidarity, said they were notified about the decision to fire the journalists at 7pm yesterday.
“We were informed at 7pm that they have been fired for contravening the SABC policy.
"We will apply to the Labour Court on Thursday that the dismissals be set aside. This is unheard of, such a decision can’t be made.”
Van der Bijl said they had tried to reason with the SABC, but to no avail.
“We tried to keep the gloves on, but the SABC seemed not keen on reaching an amicable solution. The gloves are now off!”
Speaking to Independent Media, one of the axed journalists said the SABC management had told them their “continued acts of misconduct have become intolerable and our employment is thus terminated with immediate effect”.
Icasa ordered the SABC to withdraw the censorship within seven calendar days, which expired yesterday. Advocate Steven Budlender, one of the lawyers for the eight journalists, refused to comment.