The Labour Court matter concerning the four journalists the SABC fired back in July is far from over.

In the ruling made by the court, which ordered the SABC to immediately reinstate Suna Venter, Jacques Steenkamp, Krivani Pillay and Foeta Krige represented by trade union, Solidarity, it was also ordered to identify who fired the four, along with their other four colleagues represented by other unions.

According to the court, the costs for the case were to be paid for either by the SABC or the person/s responsible. It was later revealed that News and Current Affairs Group Executive, Simon Tebele, had fired the eight journalists.

Tebele and SABC general manager for radio news and current affairs, Sebolelo Ditlhakanyane, who signed the journalists’ termination letters, were ordered to explain why they shouldn’t be held personally liable for the costs.

In an affidavit sent to Solidarity, Tebele said he shouldn’t be held personally liable for the costs because he didn’t act recklessly or with malice against the journalists. Instead, he said he acted in the belief that what he did was legally correct, having been guided by the SABC’s policies.

Speaking to htxt.africa, Solidarity Deputy Chief Executive, Johan Kruger, said that the union has requested that the matter be argued in court and for oral evidence to be given from the SABC on who should be liable for the costs.

“That is in its final stages and so once our application for oral evidence has been heard, then hopefully we’ll get a court date and we can cross-examine for example Mr Motsoeneng and whoever was also involved in the decision process [to fire the journalists],” Kruger said.

“Hopefully before the end of the year we will get a date to have that argued,” he added.