Radio Sonder Grense (RSG) executive producer Foeta Krige, Afrikaans news producer Suna Venter, journalist Jacques Steenkamp and SAFM current affairs producer Krivani Pillay celebrated and hugged each other after the court granted them an urgent interdict against the SABC.

They were represented by trade union Solidarity.

Pillay thanked their legal team and civil society for their support.

"This is massive to us, thank you to everyone and to those inside and outside the SABC. We cannot wait to go back to work," she said at a media briefing organised by Solidarity.

Krige said the last time he was at work at the SABC in Auckland Park, former acting chief executive officer Jimi Matthews told him "it is cold outside of the SABC".

"Jimi was wrong, we’ve receive tremendous support from everyone… both inside and outside the SABC. We are thankful for the support and our families," said an emotional Krige.

Venter added that they all still had a long way to go regarding their employer, and that the decision to petition the Constitutional Court by all the dismissed journalists was driven by the desire to make sure the SABC respected the laws governing it.

Delivering judgement on behalf of Judge Robert LeGrange, Judge Andre Van Niekerk granted the journalists an interdict against the SABC and ordered that their dismissals be set aside.

Furthermore, officials responsible for disciplinary processes and the dismissals were ordered to submit affidavits to the court within five days and explain why they should not be held personally liable for the legal costs.

The journalists filed an urgent application last week to have their dismissals for objecting to the editorial directive at the SABC – since withdrawn in the face of another legal challenge – which prohibited the broadcasting of footage of violent protests and the destruction of state property.

The suspension and subsequent dismissal of the journalists drew widespread outcry from civil society and political parties.

Last month, the governing African National Congress condemned the SABC for its decision to stop showing footage of the destruction of property during protests, and said the policy went against its mandate as the country’s public broadcaster.

Several other senior SABC journalists, who include Thandeka Gcubule, Busisiwe Ntuli and Lukhanyo Calata, were sent termination letters by the public broadcaster last week for speaking out against what is widely viewed as crude censorship imposed by management.

Vuyo Mvoko’s part time contract was not renewed by the SABC because he publicly criticised the ban on showing violent protests. Mvoko has reportedly approached the high court to ask it to set aside the termination of his contract.

In court papers served on the SABC, Mvoko argued that the public broadcaster violated the independent contract agreement he had with it.

The journalists earlier this month approached the Constitutional Court for direct access to argue to have the ban on airing footage of violence reversed.

Last week, the SABC made a U-turn and said it would reverse the ban after it was challenged in the North Gauteng High Court court by the Helen Suzman Foundation (HSF).

The public broadcaster negotiated and reached a settlement with the HSF in court.

The SABC also eventually agreed to implement an earlier ruling by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa ordering it to lift the ban on covering protests.

ANA