SABC 8 ask ConCourt to urgently intervene over dismissals

20 July 2016

Cape Town - Eight SABC journalists who were fired this week have updated their urgent application with the Constitutional Court, requesting the court to intervene over their dismissals.

The journalists, dubbed the "SABC 8", initially approached the court on Friday to have the SABC’s conduct and the charges against them declared "unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid".

The eight were since fired on Monday and Tuesday this week.

In the updated court papers filed on Wednesday, the journalists claim the broadcaster has engaged in conduct which breaches the Constitution and amounts to contempt of court.

"Once litigation is launched, all litigants are under a duty not to impede or frustrate the ability of opposing parties to obtain effective relief. This is so in terms of common law."

The eight said the SABC was an organ of state and therefore was under special obligation to "respect, promote, protect and fulfill" the rights of access to court, and to effective relief.

"The SABC has violated all of these duties in this matter. It was faced with an application to the highest court in the country, seeking to declare unconstitutional and invalid its decision to embark on disciplinary proceedings against us."

The SABC ignored the eight’s application and failed to reply.

"Absent of a proper explanation, the SABC has engaged in conduct giving rise to contempt of this court. Only this court can appropriately deal with that matter."

This article first appeared on News24, see here.