SABC agrees to lift violent protest ban
The SABC has made an about-turn and now says it will abide by ICASA's ruling last week that it reverse its decision to ban the broadcast of violent protests.
Last week , SABC COO Hlaudi Motsoeneg was defiant following the ICASA order, telling reporters they weren't going to change anything and were willing to go all the way to the Constitutional Court to challenge the ruling by the authority's council.
The latest development come after the the North Gauteng High Court today granted an interdict against the SABC’s ban on the showing of footage of violent demonstrations.
The Helen Suzman Foundation had taken it to court amid the SABC's decision this week to fire seven of its eight journalists who have spoken out against the revised editorial policy.
ICASA's Paseka Maleka says they welcome the move.
So, the order was issued last week Monday and on Monday this week the authority also reiterated its position to the SABC that what it had issued was not a recommendation, but an order of council, for the SABC to comply with."
"Icasa is grateful to have received a letter from the SABC through their lawyers to say they are willing to abide by the order of council and this will be with immediate effect," he said.
Meanwhile Solidarity is also preparing for its legal battle with the SABC in the Labour Court tomorrow over the dismissal of the journalists, known as the SABC 8.
Solidarity has already filed papers in the Labour Court, challenging the suspensions of its members.
The union will now also be asking the court to set aside the dismissals, and for a stay of any disciplinary process pending the outcome of the legal challenges against the SABC.
Solidarity's Johan Kruger believes today's the high court order on the banning of violent protest footage will strengthen their case.
"It's really a prima facie indication that the instruction is unlawful. [The subsequent] suspensions and the disciplinary action and the dismissals of the journalists - stemming from an unlawful instruction in which they distanced themselves - [are] also unfair," Kruger said.