The ANC has condemned the dismissal of eight SABC journalists as the rift between the public broadcaster and the ruling party widens.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said: "Workers cannot live in fear in the workplace. We can't support this mass dismissal of journalists."
The remaining four members of the so-called "SABC 8" were sent dismissal letters yesterday.
The first four were fired on Monday.
Mantashe's comments come days after he warned the SABC that if it ignored an Independent Communications Authority of SA's ruling over changes in editorial policy, it did so "at its own peril".
Mantashe said yesterday that the ANC's view that the latest policy decisions at the public broadcaster bordered on censorship still stood.
The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers' Union, which is representing two of the SABC employees dismissed yesterday, says it will challenge the matter in the Labour Court.
Union representative Hannes du Buisson said: "We are currently in talks with our lawyers to bring an urgent application in the Labour Court to overturn the dismissals until the Constitutional Court matter has been finalised."
The eight journalists were allegedly targeted after questioning policy changes at the SABC that included not reporting on violent service-delivery protests.
Anton van der Bijl, head of trade union Solidarity's labour court division, which is representing four of the eight SABC employees, said the union would take the matter to the Labour Court tomorrow for an urgent interdict.
"We want them to be reinstated and their suspension to be set aside," he said.
The dismissal of the eight has drawn widespread condemnation.
Amnesty International described the dismissal of the journalists as a "cynical and sinister ploy to entrench fear".
The Right2Know Campaign and the SOS Coalition said they stood in solidarity with the journalists, called for their reinstatement and for the SABC's editorial policies to be scrapped.
The Helen Suzman Foundation's urgent application to reverse the SABC's policy of not broadcasting or reporting on violent and other protests is to be heard in the Pretoria High Court today.
SABC firing wrong: ANC
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe said: "Workers cannot live in fear in the workplace. We can't support this mass dismissal of journalists."
The remaining four members of the so-called "SABC 8" were sent dismissal letters yesterday.
The first four were fired on Monday.
Mantashe's comments come days after he warned the SABC that if it ignored an Independent Communications Authority of SA's ruling over changes in editorial policy, it did so "at its own peril".
Mantashe said yesterday that the ANC's view that the latest policy decisions at the public broadcaster bordered on censorship still stood.
The Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers' Union, which is representing two of the SABC employees dismissed yesterday, says it will challenge the matter in the Labour Court.
Union representative Hannes du Buisson said: "We are currently in talks with our lawyers to bring an urgent application in the Labour Court to overturn the dismissals until the Constitutional Court matter has been finalised."
The eight journalists were allegedly targeted after questioning policy changes at the SABC that included not reporting on violent service-delivery protests.
Anton van der Bijl, head of trade union Solidarity's labour court division, which is representing four of the eight SABC employees, said the union would take the matter to the Labour Court tomorrow for an urgent interdict.
"We want them to be reinstated and their suspension to be set aside," he said.
The dismissal of the eight has drawn widespread condemnation.
Amnesty International described the dismissal of the journalists as a "cynical and sinister ploy to entrench fear".
The Right2Know Campaign and the SOS Coalition said they stood in solidarity with the journalists, called for their reinstatement and for the SABC's editorial policies to be scrapped.
The Helen Suzman Foundation's urgent application to reverse the SABC's policy of not broadcasting or reporting on violent and other protests is to be heard in the Pretoria High Court today.
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