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SABC accuses former COO of “gross negligence”

March 12, 2020

By Chris Forrester

South Africa’s troubled public broadcaster SABC fired its COO Chris Maroleng almost a year ago, which prompted Maroleng to issue a claim in the country’s Labour Court demanding that he receive back pay of R16 million (almost $1 million) or to reinstate him into his old job.

In April last year a SABC statement said: “The SABC board met on Tuesday April 23. After due consideration of the findings and recommendations of a disciplinary process, the board resolved to terminate the contract of [Mr Maroleng] with immediate effect.”

Maroleng had been in position since January 2018.

SABC added: “In the face of this barrage of false and misleading statements, it is necessary for the SABC to remind Mr Maroleng that he was charged after breaching his fiduciary duties as a director, for acting in a manner which breaches good faith, trust, honesty, loyalty and confidence, and for two charges of gross negligence.”

“Mr Maroleng’s baseless allegation that members of the SABC board are to blame for his dismissal, rather than his own actions, clearly demonstrates his unwillingness to assume responsibility for his own serious misconduct,” said a SABC statement.

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