Johannesburg - Disgraced former SABC Chief Operating Officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng's application for leave to appeal a Labour Court ruling ordering him and former head of news Simon Tebele to pay the legal costs of the SABC 8 journalists was on Monday denied.
Motsoeneng, the SABC and Tebele were held responsible for the axing of the journalists and were ordered to pay the legal costs of Solidarity and trade union Bemawu (Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union), who represented the dismissed journalists.
The eight were fired from the public broadcaster last year for protesting against a ban of showing and broadcasting of violent scenes on all public broadcaster’s platforms.
The Labour Court later overturned their dismissals.
The application was denied with costs.
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Commenting on the matter was head of Solidarity’s Centre for Fair Labour Practices Anton van der Bijl, who said Motsoeneng and Tebele's failed application was simply yet another attempt to postpone the inevitable.
“Solidarity has made it clear many a time that it would not rest until Motsoeneng and Tebele have paid the money in their personal capacity as ordered by the court,” Van der Bijl said.
“Hlaudi is painting himself into a corner in an attempt to evade justice,” van der Bijl added.