Date 28/10/2020

Palesa Chubisi is putting up a fight amid her recent firing by the public broadcaster, the SABC. Chubisi’s was dismissed whilst she was live on air during her usual afternoon anchoring slot on channel 405 on Monday afternoon 19 of October 2020.

She has approached the Labour Court in Braamfontein, Johannesburg with an urgent application through her lawyer, the popular Advocate William Mukhari. She wants to have the termination of her contract declared void and invalid.

She wants to be reinstated with immediate effect, sighting that her dismissal was not urgent. She also wants the SABC to pay for the costs. The SABC is yet to respond on this step taken by their former employee.

Chubisi was dismissed with other 13 employees last week that the broadcaster said they have been appointed or promoted or received salary adjustments unlawfully and irregularly.

The SABC made this decision following the Public Protector’s findings June report on the allegations of an irregularity in filling the positions of producer and presenter. The SABC spokesperson Mmoni Seapolelo said had this to say about the dismissal:

“The SABC embarked on an investigation which was concluded in June, 2020, affecting employees who were appointed/promoted and/or received salary adjustments unlawfully and irregularly. The SABC believes these employees benefited through a process which denied other colleagues equitable and fair access to compete for appointments and promotions.

“It must be noted that the SABC leadership has an obligation to do the right thing and not to condone unethical practices,” said Seapolelo.

She worked on the broadcaster’s news shows which include Morning Live, SABC 2’s Leihlo la Sechaba and co-host of the weekly daily news on the afternoon slot on channel 405, SA Today. Chubisi wants her job back, she is fighting for an immediate intervention in court.

Chubisi is well experienced in the newsroom, she is faced with a tough time currently as the nature of her dismissal that contains the Public Protector’s findings is damning for her future career endeavours. It taints her name as someone who got the job through unregulated procedures.

There were rumours of her being appointed by former SABC Head of Department, the embattled Hlaudi Motsoaneng. The Public Protector’s investigations and findings might have been based on that. Either way Chubisi probably wants an internal hearing where she can state her side of the story and the parties involved.

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