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Former SABC chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng has paid R300 000 to trade union Solidarity in line with a Labour Court ruling.
In a statement, Solidarity CEO Dirk Hermann said Motsoeneng made the payment after the trade union embarked on a process to have his assets seized.
However, he said the R300 000 was only part of the full amount Motsoeneng owes it.
"The final amount owing will be determined once the costs associated with [a] Constitutional Court ruling, which Motsoeneng also lost, have been paid and included in the final amount due," Hermann explained.
The Labour Court ruling dates back to 2017 when Motsoeneng was found personally liable for legal costs incurred in a lawsuit in which it was found that the so-called SABC 8 had been dismissed unlawfully.
The SABC 8 is a group of journalists who were fired for speaking out against the broadcaster's decision to censor coverage of protests.
READ: Hlaudi Motsoeneng takes SCA punitive cost order to ConCourt
"Ironically, the Labour Court case is therefore being paid for by Motsoeneng and no one else. Solidarity has decided to use the money received from Motsoeneng in litigation against tax abuse. Although we will deposit Hlaudi's money in a fund to counter further tax abuse, we will not name the fund after him."
Hitting straight back at the trade union, Motsoeneng, who is now the president of newly formed political party, the African Content Movement (ACM), said that Solidarity's statement was a desperate PR exercise by the union in a well-known legal matter.
"It is clear that Solidarity is just seeking a political mileage. This issue is well known. I have duty to defend and protect the rule of law," said Motsoeneng in a statement.
"I have a bigger role of transforming the country, improving the lives of ordinary South Africans. This is more important than any other thing. In any case, I have already paid part of the money.
"I have nothing further to say."
In the statement, Motsoeneng added: "The issue of who gets named after the fund doesn't arise. It's extremely irrelevant."
