Mpofu hearing adjourned

2008-07-08 12:07

Johannesburg - SABC chief Dali Mpofu's challenge to his third suspension was briefly adjourned in the Johannesburg High Court on Tuesday after SABC employees lodged an application to intervene.

Judge Antonie Gildenhuys adjourned the hearing to allow both Mpofu and the SABC board's lawyers to read the application lodged by advocate Michael Naidoo.

Naidoo told the court that the reinstatement of SABC news chief Snuki Zikalala had prompted employees and unions to attempt to intervene in the matter.

"The employees decided it would be advisable to place their concerns before the court," Naidoo said without elaborating.

The judge would rule on their application once he had heard the arguments and responses from both Mpofu and the SABC board.

Mpofu's lawyers want the court to declare the meeting where his suspension was decided as irregular, because Mpofu and two other board members were asked not to attend.

This would make the meeting null and void.

"He is a member of the board and is entitled to be part of the deliberations," said lawyer Sandile July.

Suspension

Mpofu was first suspended on May 7, a day after he suspended Zikalala, who was accused of leaking a memorandum on Mpofu's alleged bad management of the SABC.

The Johannesburg High Court overturned Mpofu's suspension but a few days later he was suspended again. He then won another court bid challenging his suspension, but the board retaliated with a third suspension.

According to court papers, the board held that Mpofu did not have the authority to suspend Zikalala.

On Monday, it emerged that Zikalala had been reinstated as SABC head of news.

The SABC reported that the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration had been asked to conduct an independent fact-finding mission into whether there were grounds to suspend Zikalala, who was on special leave and would return to work within two weeks.

Senior SABC managers had called on President Thabo Mbeki to remove the board while a judge had questioned the chairwoman's independence.

- SAPA