Her axing was highly controversial, with people suggesting it may have been political as Magopeni disclosed that CEO Madoda Mxakwe and board chair Bongumusa Makhathini tried to pressure her into agreeing to an impromptu interview with President Cyril Ramaphosa in the run-up to the local government elections, a request she declined.
She was also accused by ANC bigwigs Fikile Mbalula and the late Jessie Duarte of costing the governing party votes when SABC TV aired a daily programme critical of service delivery at local government level.
The SABC denied she was targeted for political reasons, saying the action against her was purely for failing stop the Special Assignment broadcast.
After the disciplinary hearing, chair Nazeer Cassim SC recommended she be given a warning. However, in the letter of dismissal, Mxakwe said Magopeni did not present mitigating factors as requested and failed to withdraw remarks in her disciplinary heads of argument that “the charges brought against the employee are a farce and done so hastily”.
SABC settles with ex-head of news Phathiswa Magopeni
Journalist
Image: MOELETSI MABE
The SABC has reached a settlement with its former head of news, Phathiswa Magopeni.
The public broadcaster axed Magopeni in January after a disciplinary process. Details of the settlement have not been made public but TimesLIVE has it on good authority that an agreement was reached on Thursday after a prolonged court battle.
The SABC had not commented by the time of publishing, while Magopeni declined to do so.
The SABC fired Magopeni citing a breakdown of trust in their relationship. An internal disciplinary hearing in December found her guilty of misconduct for failing to prevent the broadcast of an interdicted episode of investigative news programme Special Assignment.
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Her axing was highly controversial, with people suggesting it may have been political as Magopeni disclosed that CEO Madoda Mxakwe and board chair Bongumusa Makhathini tried to pressure her into agreeing to an impromptu interview with President Cyril Ramaphosa in the run-up to the local government elections, a request she declined.
She was also accused by ANC bigwigs Fikile Mbalula and the late Jessie Duarte of costing the governing party votes when SABC TV aired a daily programme critical of service delivery at local government level.
The SABC denied she was targeted for political reasons, saying the action against her was purely for failing stop the Special Assignment broadcast.
After the disciplinary hearing, chair Nazeer Cassim SC recommended she be given a warning. However, in the letter of dismissal, Mxakwe said Magopeni did not present mitigating factors as requested and failed to withdraw remarks in her disciplinary heads of argument that “the charges brought against the employee are a farce and done so hastily”.
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Magopeni denied this and is said to have presented in court an email from her lawyers confirming she had distanced herself from the remarks on the day she was asked to do so.
TimesLIVE
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