The Labour Court on Tuesday granted an interdict to the four fired senior SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) journalists and ordered that they be reinstated.
Judge Andre van Niekerk delivered the judgement on behalf of Judge Robert LeGrange.
The court also ordered those responsible for the disciplinary procedures, which it deemed unlawful, to submit affidavits to the court stating why they should not be liable for the legal costs.
Foeta Krige, Suna Venter, Krivani Pillay and Jacques Steenkamp filed an urgent application last week to have their dismissals by the SABC set aside by the Labour Court.
They had been dismissed for objecting to the now discarded censorship move introduced a few weeks ago by the SABC prohibiting the broadcasting of violent footage in which state property was destroyed.
The case was heard on Friday by Judge LeGrange following a postponement as a result of the SABC failing to file answering affidavits on time.
The four, joined by Thandeka Gcubule, celebrated outside the court and released white balloons as they cheered and clapped.
The emotional journalists hugged and shed tears as they walked out of the court.
Several other senior SABC journalists, who include Gcubule, Busisiwe Ntuli and Lukhanyo Calata, were sent termination letters by the public broadcaster on Monday.
Vuyo Mvoko’s contract was not renewed by the SABC because he publicly criticised the ban on the broadcasting of violent protests. Mvoko has reportedly approached the high court to ask it to set aside the termination of his contract. Mvoko is not a permanent employee at the broadcaster.
In court papers served on the SABC on Thursday, Mvoko argues that the public broadcaster violated the independent contract agreement he had with them.
The journalists had earlier in July approached the Constitutional Court for direct access to argue to have the ban on airing footage of violence reversed.
Last week, the SABC made a u-turn and said it would reverse its decision not to show violent protest footage in a case brought before the North Gauteng High Court court by the Helen Suzman Foundation.
The public broadcaster negotiated and reached a settlement with the HSF in court.
The SABC also agreed to implement the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ruling ordering it to reverse its unilateral ban on the broadcast of footage of violent protests.
– African News Agency (ANA)
