The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) suspended group executive of news and current affairs, Snuki Zikalala, has lodged a case with the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), the CCMA confirmed on Wednesday.
This was just days after the Johannesburg High Court denied the SABC board leave to appeal a finding that its suspension the next day of group CEO Dali Mpofu was unlawful
Mpofu suspended Zikalala on May 6 pending the outcome of a probe into allegations of misconduct.
”The outcome of the investigation is likely to result in a formal disciplinary inquiry,” Mpofu said in a statement issued at the time.
He told the SABC the misconduct had to do with the leaking of sensitive documents, but denied that it was connected to news reports about an internal SABC memorandum on rifts between the board and Mpofu.
The board initially denied that Mpofu’s suspension on May 7 had anything to do with that of Zikalala.
However, in evidence before the Johannesburg High Court, board chairperson Khanyisile Mkhonza admitted that it had indeed been triggered by the Zikalala decision.
Mkhonza told the court that the suspension of Zikalala was ”invalid and unlawful”, and that Mpofu did not have the power to suspend him.
”The board appoints and has the power to appoint the head of news. The board has the power to suspend Zikalala,” she said in an affidavit, claiming that Mpofu had acted ”in clear defiance of the board”.
Zikalala had opened a case with the CCMA against the SABC, it confirmed late on Wednesday, but could not provide further details.
A date in mid-June had been set for the hearing of the case, the CCMA said. — Sapa