The SABC has moved to justify its decision to fire former chief operating officer Chris Maroleng, saying he was charged for breaching his fiduciary duties as a director and for “gross negligence”.

In interviews with various media outlets, including City Press, Maroleng has demanded that the SABC pay him R16-million or give him his job back.

The former COO, who joined the SABC from MTN Group, has filed papers in the labour court challenging his dismissal in April last year. He told City Press at the weekend that the SABC did not afford him the right to appeal the disciplinary process. He accused the corporation’s CEO, Madoda Mxakwe, of conspiring against him.

In a statement on Tuesday, the SABC hit back, calling claims made by Maroleng “unfounded and defamatory”.

“In the face of this barrage of false and misleading statements, it is necessary for the SABC to remind Mr Maroleng that he was charged after breaching his fiduciary duties as a director, for acting in a manner which breaches good faith, trust, honesty, loyalty and confidence, and for two charges of gross negligence,” it said.

It said it followed due process “from the outset and Mr Maroleng was at all times treated fairly and afforded all the rights available to him in terms of SABC policies and the law”.

‘Serious misconduct’

“Mr Maroleng’s baseless allegation that members of the SABC board are to blame for his dismissal, rather than his own actions, clearly demonstrates his unwillingness to assume responsibility for his own serious misconduct.”