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SABC board rubbishes claim about 'charging' head of news Phathiswa Magopeni over job cuts

Ernest Mabuza Journalist
The SABC board has denied it intends to 'charge' group executive of news and current affairs Phathiswa Magopeni. File photo.
The SABC board has denied it intends to 'charge' group executive of news and current affairs Phathiswa Magopeni. File photo.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) board has denied having taken a decision to "charge" group executive of news and current affairs Phathiswa Magopeni for her stance on retrenchments.

The board was responding to a report published by Sunday World which claimed it had decided to charge Magopeni for defying the broadcaster's resolution to implement retrenchments.

Sunday World reported the board took the decision after Magopeni, during an internal meeting with news staff, told them during a heated discussion that she was abandoning retrenchments in the news division.

The board said on Monday the article contained false, misleading and fictitious information about Magopeni.

"The SABC board would like to make it emphatically clear it has never had any discussions or taken any decision to 'charge' Ms Magopeni.

"We consider these allegations completely malicious and false, and record that no such discussion took place."

The board said apart from the fact that it could not involve itself in operational matters or editorial affairs, it said the newspaper - allegedly relying on information from “some board members" - had completely invented a board discussion, including the alleged charges levelled against Magopeni.

"The board strongly rejects the claim by Sunday World that a disciplinary process has been 'kickstarted' by the board against Ms Magopeni. Again, no such discussion took place."

The board said Magopeni did not report directly to it.

The board demanded a retraction by the newspaper for "a false and misleading article".

TimesLIVE

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