BREAKING. SABC appoints Phathiswa Magopeni as the South African public broadcaster's new boss of news and current affairs.

The SABC has appointed Phathiswa Magopeni, currently the business and economics editor and head of terrestrial news services at eNCA (DStv 403), as the South African public broadcaster's new boss of news and current affairs.

Phathiswa Magopeni will start at the SABC on 1 March. eNCA's Mapi Mhlangu, managing director and editor-in-chief at eNCA was also approached by the SABC for the same position at the public broadcaster.

Phathiswa Magopeni replaces the disgraced Simon Tebele who was a belligerent Hlaudi Motsoeneng sycophant and who was found liable for the legal costs for the wrongful firing of the so-called "SABC 8" journalists together with the controversial and famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Phathiswa Magopeni has an impressive CV and boasts an MBA, a honours degree, an MPhil in education, an Integrated Marketing Communications diploma and is currently working on a doctoral proposal for a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree with the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GBIS).

Phathiswa Magopeni was previously at the SABC as a desk producer.

Phathiswa Magopeni's career in journalism began in 1998 when she joined the SABC in in Cape Town. She then jumped to e.tv's eNews in 2001 and returned to the SABC in 2005. In 2008 she rejoined eNews when the eNews Channel was launched (now called eNCA) in 2008.

She worked as a senior desk producer, output editor, eNews Prime Time editor and then became head of terrestrial news services. In 2013 she conceptualised and coordinated the launch of e.tv's Zulu news offering that has since been moved to Platco Digital's OpenView HD free-to-air satellite service..

 “South Africa’s public broadcaster has always played an indispensable role in the democratic order of the country, but it has also always had a special place in my own life," says Phathiswa Magopeni in a statement about her appointment.

"My first job in broadcasting was with the SABC. I learnt a lot there, and have learnt much in the industry since. Hopefully all that can be of use because this is for me a welcome return to where it all began. I am humbled by the trust shown in me, and look forward to being part of an institution which is crucial to providing independent news and information to South Africa’s citizenry".

The SABC in a statement says "This appointment is in line with the corporation’s continuous commitment to ensure that all group executive vacancies are filled in order to achieve sound governance in all the SABC’s business units. It also affirms our commitment to attract and retain the best skills to address the evolving broadcasting environment enabled by technology."

Chris Maroleng, the SABC's chief operations officer (COO), says "As a public broadcaster we recognise the pivotal role played by news and information in human, social and economic growth and development".

"We therefore saw it fit to appoint Phathiswa Magopeni as she has the expertise in the broadcasting industry and we believe that her appointment will further strengthen our position as a credible and reliable news and information provider in the country as we approach the national general elections in 2019."

"We welcome Phathiswa Magopeni back to the SABC where she first cut her teeth in the broadcasting arena. We urge all staff members to welcome and support her in her role as the new group executive for news and current affairs division."

Labourt Court again orders Hlaudi Motsoeneng, Simon Tebele to pay SABC8 journalists' legal costs; refuses application for leave to appeal.

The court has ordered the shamed Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the controversial former SABC COO, and the SABC's former head of news Simon Tebele to personally pay the legal costs of the so-called "SABC8" journalists the two of them unjustly fired last year.

The Labour Court has refused Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Simon Tebele's application for leave to appeal the court's former ruling ordering them to pay the legal costs of the journalists. The application was denied with costs.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said "I'm very disappointed".

It means that the shamed executives have no more options - they are responsible and must pay the legal costs of the trade unions Solidarity and the Broadcasting, Electronic, Media and Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) who represented the fired journalists that the court ordered to be re-instated.

The 8 journalists were illegally fired by the SABC after they refused to go along and protested the SABC's unilaterally introduced TV news censorship policy of Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

"Solidarity has made it clear many a time that it would not rest until Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Simon Tebele have paid the money in their personal capacity as ordered by the court," said Anton van der Bijl, the head of Solidarity's Centre for Fair Labour Practices.

"Hlaudi Motsoeneng is painting himself into a corner in an attempt to evade justice."

Labour Court orders SABC, SABC's former news boss Simon Tebele and SABC's fired COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng to pay SABC8 journalists' legal fees.

The Labour Court on Friday ordered the SABC, the SABC's former head of news Simon Tebele, and the SABC's fired COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng to all pay the legal fees of the so-called "SABC8" journalists that the South African public broadcaster fired illegally.

The Johannesburg Labour Court ordered the struggling SABC, Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Simon Tebele to each pay the 8 journalists' court fees for their struggle to get their jobs back after they were wrongfully dismissed in July 2016.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng said he will appeal the ruling.

The brave journalists were all fired by the SABC after they protested again the SABC and Hlaudi Motsoeneng's draconian and unilaterally ordered censorship, banning the showing of the destruction of property during public protests in South Africa.

Suna Venter, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay, Thandeka Gqubule, Busisiwe Ntuli, Lukhanyo Calata and Jacques Steenkamp were rehired, and Vuyo Mvoko as a freelance worker wasn't but eventually ended up as eNCA's new prime time co-anchor.

Suna Venter has since died after she passed away from stress.

Hlaudi Motsoeneng a no-show in court as the SABC dumps Hlaudi and Simon Tebele by refusing to further pay for their legal fees in SABC8 case.

The controversial former SABC chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng was a no-show in South Africa's Labour Court on Tuesday that left the South African public broadcaster's beleaguered former head of news Simon Tebele all on his own to explain to the judge that the SABC has refused to pay for his lawyers.

In the case, the trade union representing the so-called "SABC8" journalists who were fired and then court ordered to be reinstated, is arguing that Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Simon Tebele should be personally held liable for the court costs.

While Simon Tebele says it was he who is responsible for firing the 8 SABC journalists, Solidarity argues that it was done on Hlaudi Motsoeneng's orders.

Simon Tebele found out on Monday that the SABC will no longer be responsible for his legal representation.

Sandile July of Werksmans Attorneys on behalf of the SABC told the court that he also found out on Monday after the SABC's formal legal team from attorneys from Ningiza Horner who were representing the SABC two abruptly withdrew from the case on Friday.

No reasons were given for why Hlaudi Motsoeneng didn't appear in the Labour Court.

Simon Tebele asked for another postponement citing his "poor health".

Simon Tebele told the Labour Court that he "was in hospital from May to July and I went through a 7 hour operation. Even now I am still recuperating from heavy pain".

The SABC dumped Vuyo Mvoko who was a freelancer and who is now the co-anchor on eNCA's (DStv 403) prime time news, and fired Suna Venter who passed away recently from a broken heart, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay, Jacques Steenkamp, Thandeka Gqubule, Lukhanyo Calata and Busi Ntuli .

They were fired after they spoke out about the SABC's draconian news censorship practices abruptly instituted by the belligerent Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

Solidarity's Anton van der Bijl said Hlaudi Motsoeneng is delaying the case and that the "SABC respondents continue to change their legal representation at the last minute, it's a delaying tactic."

"We still argue that Hlaudi Motsoeneng made the decision to dismiss the journalists and that is why we are still holding him personally accountable for the costs incurred."

Judge David Gush postponed the case to 6 September and ruled that Hlaudi Motsoeneng and Simon Tebele must be present on 6 September and that the case will proceed in their absence if they fail to appear on court next month.

SABC staff in 'grave concern and shock' over latest top executive appointments that 'smack of favouritism', wasn't advertised and is unprocedural.

SABC staff are in "grave concern and shock" over the latest reshuffling of top executives at the beleaguered South African public broadcaster and a string of sudden top level appointments that wasn't advertised and that staffers say "smack of favouritism" and is completely unprocedural.

Simon Tebele has suddenly been appointed as the SABC's new head of news and current affairs, with Tsheliso Ralitabo as the new head of media technology infrastructure.

Kevin Green, the national sales manager for TV sales is now the new general manager for TV sales (a position previous held by Tshifhiwa Mulaudzi).

Meanwhile Bessie Tugwana who headed up the SABC Sport division is swopping places with Sully Motsweni who headed up corporate affairs. 

Bessie Tugwana is suddenly in charge of corporate affairs while Sully Motsweni is now the head of SABC Sport, with no explanation to the public from the SABC as to why.

Nomsa Philiso who was the head of the commercial enterprises division is now the SABC's new head of TV.

Nomsa Philiso is replacing the fired Verona Duwarkah who allegedly had a falling out with controversial SABC chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng after Verona Duwarkah was unwilling to sign off on multi-million rand proposals for new local content ordered by the famously matricless Hlaudi Motsoeneng, including a new local fantasy mermaid drama, that was allegedly not being commissioned properly.

The new SABC appointments are effective from 1 August according to the SABC.

In a statement the SABC says the appointments are "aimed at continuously maximising the organisation's business efficiency and delivering on the public service mandate".

The SABC says it believes that the appointments will "strengthen the SABC’s core business and public service mandate".

Meanwhile SABC staffers are shocked and outraged who first heard of the appointments in the press statement.

Trade union Bemawu, in a strongly-worded letter to SABC management this morning that TVwithThinus obtained a copy of and has seen, slams the appointments and says it "smacks of favouritism".

"In particular in the instance of Simon Tebele, it appears as if he is now rewarded, instead of being punished, for unlawfully and invalidly terminating the employment contracts of the 7 journalists and by doing so incurred fruitless and wasteful expenditure on behalf of the SABC," says Bemawu.

Bemawu says it has "grave concern and shock" about the SABC's appointments and the broadcaster's lack of respect for employee rights. 

Bemawu says in the letter to top management that it "insists that the SABC undo these unprocedural appointments and advertise the posts to afford all employees the opportunity to apply".

"The SABC has a recruitment policy stipulating that all vacant positions shall be advertised internally as it is only fair to afford everyone in the organisation the opportunity to apply for vacant positions," says Bemawu.

Bemawu warns the SABC that if the appointments are not reversed, that it will take legal action.