Cope welcomes Labour Court’s ‘punitive cost order’ against SABC execs

27 July 2016 - 09:49 By TMG Digital

“They deserve what they have got‚” the Congress of the People (Cope) said of the “punitive cost order” dished out to two South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) executives in the Labour Court on Tuesday. “This is serious stuff. They must indeed be made to pay. They have been excoriated‚” the party said. Cope’s reaction came after the Labour Court ruled that dismissals of four SABC journalists - axed for disagreeing with a censorship policy - was “unlawful”.While it was an “enormous victory for workers who are summarily and unlawfully dismissed”‚ Cope’s Dennis Bloem said “the most significant issue relates to the order requiring Seboleto Ditlhakanane‚ the respondent’s General Manager: Radio News & Current Affairs and Mololo S Tebele‚ Acting Group Executive: News and Current Affairs”.The court said they must “file an affidavit ‘within five days of this order … showing cause why they should not personally be held liable for all or part of the costs of this application’ ”.“This is a punitive cost order‚” said Bloem.“Not only the fired journalists but South Africans can rejoice today. The boot is on the other foot. The perpetrators of the criminal action against the journalists will now have to dig deep into their pockets for embarking on a reckless and unlawful action.”..

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