Dudu Busani

Dudu Busani

Mvuzo Mbebe, group executive for content enterprises at the SABC, has won the first round of his battle against his employers.

His application that the SABC refrain from appointing a chief operations officer, a position Mbebe, pictured, believed would be his, was granted by the Johannesburg high court yesterday.

Judge John Horn ruled that the procedure followed by Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri when she failed to forward Mbebe's recommendation to the Cabinet constituted an irregularity.

"Respondents are interdicted and restrained from appointing a person to the position of chief operations officer of the SABC pending the final outcome of the review application," Judge Horn said.

Mbebe had lodged the application against SABC board chairman Khanyi Mkhonza, Matsepe- Casaburri, the president, the SABC appointing body and the SABC itself.

Mbebe claimed that he was treated unfairly when, after being left hanging for more than a year, he was not given the job.

He had been interviewed for the COO position early last year and was chosen as a suitable candidate. The board recommended his name to the minister, who was supposed to forward it to the Cabinet.

But after consulting with colleagues the minister felt "uncomfortable" about appointing Mbebe to the position.