SABC contributing editor Vuyo Mvoko was told he could have his position back if he retracted everything he had written and said about the public broadcaster.
The offer, which Mvoko turned down, was made yesterday morning, just moments before he was due to appear in court to challenge the broadcaster over his dismissal.
He and seven other SABC journalists were fired in the past month for challenging the broadcaster’s editorial policy.
Mvoko was axed after he wrote an article for The Star criticising the censorship and culture of bullying at the corporation.
While his seven colleagues were reinstated this week, Mvoko was not. He then applied to the court to have his contract enforced after the SABC said he would no longer be used to produce programmes until their dispute was settled.
In the Johannesburg High Court, Judge EJ Francis and the SABC’s lawyers questioned why Mvoko’s application should be seen as urgent.
Mvoko’s lawyer, advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, argued that Mvoko's income had been stopped. Also, the longer he was unable to work, the more his economic value decreased because his status as a senior political journalist was linked to the amount of access he had to prominent figures.
Ngcukaitobi said journalists should be able to work without editorial interference. In the past, Mvoko had been told to censor information that cast the president in a bad light.
Ngcukaitobi agreed to having the case put on Tuesday's roll.
Advocate Stephan du Toit SC, for the SABC, asked the court to award the corporation costs for the day on the basis that the application had not been urgent.
Judge Francis said he would rule on the issue on Tuesday.