The Democratic Alliance has no right to get involved with matters between an employer and their employee, the SABC said on Thursday.
The public broadcaster was responding to DA MP James Selfe, who on Thursday said the party wanted the Western Cape High Court to order a new disciplinary inquiry into the SABC’s chief operating officer, Hlaudi Motsoeneng.
The party wanted the SABC’s internal disciplinary inquiry, that cleared Motsoeneng of all charges, to be set aside.
SABC spokesman Kaizer Kganyago said the broadcaster would defend the matter in court.
“We regard this matter as an employer-employee matter. The DA doesn’t have the right to get involved in the disciplinary matter between employer and employee,” he said.
Selfe said the inquiry “amounted to nothing more than a stitch-up to shield him from accountability which we contend is at odds with the remedial actions as ordered by the public protector”, he said.
It wanted the court to order that an independent and impartial disciplinary inquiry be re-established to look into Motsoeneng’s fitness to hold office. Motsoeneng faced three charges — lying about having a matric certificate, sacking senior staff members and increasing his own salary three times in one year.
He was cleared in the internal disciplinary hearing, chaired by advocate Willem Edeling.