Bloomberg in ugly disciplinary fight with its own journalist Sam Mkokeli as case is at CCMA; journalist slams Bloomberg for its 'lily-white leadership structure and culture in Africa'.

Bloomberg (DStv 411 / StarSat 264) is involved in an ugly fight with its own journalist Sam Mkokeli who is embroiled in a disciplinary case that has turned nasty and is currently being heard at the CCMA, with Sam Mkokeli who has slammed Bloomberg for its "lily-white leadership structure and culture in Africa".

Besides working for Bloomberg, Sam Mkokeli is also the chairperson of the media freedom sub-committee at the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF).

The nasty relationship breakdown between Bloomberg and Sam Mkokeli began in 2018 when Bloomberg started a disciplinary case against the journalist, claiming that he had allegedly breached Bloomberg's policy for social media posts.

Sam Mkokeli is represented by Clifford Levin, who attended a CCMA arbitration on Thursday in Johannesburg with Gabrielle Phillips as Bloomberg's human resources partner repping the business news outlet.

On 13 December 2018 Sam Mkokeli allegedly breached Bloomberg's social media post policy when he tweeted the words "Here's the walk" with a photo of Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams who was eventually announced as South Africa's 11th minister of communications in 11 years.

Bloomberg gave Sam Mkokeli a disciplinary warning because Bloomberg alleges that the journalist broke the news about Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams' appointment on Twitter where consumers get it for free and before Bloomberg clients who pay for such news.

"The fact is that our Bloomberg clients didn't have access to this information as quickly as it could have been," according to Gabrielle Phillips.

Sam Mkokeli got another Bloomberg disciplinary note a day after the first after he posted a comment on 10 December 2018 with an article from Eyewitness News (EWN) on Facebook with the headline "ANC's Pule Mabe accused of sexual harassment by his PA".

Sam Mkokeli added the comment "Thixo ka Fransman!" which in English is ""God of Fransman" and refers to the ANC member Marius Fransman who was embroiled in sexual assault charges from the National Prosecuting Authority that were later withdrawn.

Bloomberg accused SamMkokeli of expressing a "subjective opinion", something that isn't allowed under Bloomberg's social media post policy.

Sam Mkokeli on social media slammed Bloomberg this week asking Bloomberg publicly "How come you have a lily-white leadership structure and culture in Africa?"

On Wednesday Sam Mkokeli also alleges that Bloomberg decided to "created all manner of charges against me, disciplinary hearing after disciplinary hearing. I am surprised they never charged me for the shape of my nose or the length of my hair. That's Bloomberg for you.".

It's a simple crime. How come you have a lily white leadership structure and culture in Africa? @business got fired for that.

— Sam Mkokeli (@msmkokeli) September 25, 2019

They then created all manner of charges against me, DC after DC. I am surprised they never charged me for the shape of my noise or the length of my hair. That's @Bloomberg for you

— Sam Mkokeli (@msmkokeli) September 25, 2019

The SABC foreign editor Sophie Mokoena apologises to the SABC economics editor Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki and 'SABC8' colleague for having retweeted a fake news article claiming the SABC8 were paid by Bosasa.

The SABC's foreign editor, Sophie Mokoena, on Friday had to apologise to the South African public broadcaster's economics editor, Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki, for having had retweeted a fake news article that claimed that some of the so-called "SABC8"-journalists were paid by Bosasa.

The fake news article first appeared in January 2019 on Times Live.

Karima Brown, anchor of The Fix on eNCA (Dstv 403) revealed that the apology happened this past on Sunday during her weekly show.

"I understood that Sophie Mokoena from the SABC apologised to her colleague of the 'SABC8'
Thandeka Gqubule-Mbeki" said Karima Brown. 

The apology apparently happened during a council meeting of the South African National Editors' Forum (Sanef).

Sam Mkokeli, chairperson of Sanef's media freedom subcommittee, explained that "Sophie Mokoena came out to apologise for retweeting a news report that said people in the SABC8 were paid by Bosassa - something that was an outright lie."

Bosasa is a controversial South African company involvement in numerous corruption allegations that were exposed during the ongoing Zondo Commission of Inquiry.

The SABC8 - eight SABC journalists who stood up against censorship at the SABC and who got fired for it were Vuyo Mvoko, Thandeka Gqubule, Suna Venter, Krivani Pillay, Lukhanyo Calata, Foeta Krige, Jacques Steenkamp and Busisiwe Ntuli.

The labour court later ordered the SABC to reinstate them.

The fake Times Live article claimed that Bosasa paid them R100 000 but the truth is that they never received any money and that Bosasa never made any payment to them whatsoever.

Within the SABC Sophie Mokoena is seen as an erstwhile and alleged so-called "Hlaudi-enforcer".

She is allegedly one of the high-ranking staffers who allegedly sided with the now-fired former famously matricless chief operating officer (COO) at the SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, who during his reign of terror, clamped down on press freedom within the SABC News division with censorship decrees and got rid of journalists and staff who didn't follow his draconian commands.

The SABC announced a commission of inquiry into alleged editorial interference at the SABC and SABC News at the end of May 2018. 

More than a year later the SABC has not released the findings of the commission. The inquiry has been completed according to the SABC although the broadcaster has not given any reason as to why the inquiry report has not been released.