"The hearing has not begun yet, so there are no outcomes from it at the moment. It will start later in the afternoon," SA Broadcasting Corporation spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said just after 2.15pm.

The hearing was scheduled to conclude on Saturday.

Molefe was placed on special leave on April 10. At the time Kganyago said the leave was a human resources policy matter, and had nothing to do with his alleged political allegiances.

"Mr Molefe was placed on special leave due to issues that pertain to HR policy matters and it is therefore strictly an operational matter," he said in a statement.

"The board expressed the view that the group CEO [Lulama Mokhobo] was within her rights to place an executive on special leave in terms of the SABC's employment policies.

"The board has mandated... Mokhobo to speedily deal with the HR-related matters that pertain to Mr Molefe and, if possible, find an amicable solution."

At the time Molefe denied he had been placed on leave because of his political affiliations.

"I wish to place it on record that I do not back any political side or party across the political spectrum," he said in a statement.

"As a professional, my role is to ensure that all sides of a story are reflected in news output."

The Sowetan reported on Friday that Molefe was facing charges involving the alleged undermining of Mokhobo, and leaking information to the press.

Unnamed sources told the newspaper Molefe was denying both charges.

Former SABC chief executive Dali Mpofu would reportedly represent Molefe at the hearing.

Mpofu defended former ANC Youth League leader Julius Malema against his expulsion from the party earlier in the year.

When the announcement about Molefe's leave was made, the ANCYL claimed the SABC was targeting him because he had given Malema "too much airtime".