The SABC issued a media release on Thursday afternoon 13 January in which it is reported that the public broadcaster had terminated the services of political editor, Xolani Xundu with immediate effect following the conclusion of his disciplinary hearing.
Xundu was charged with “non compliance with the duties of his contract and bringing the corporation into disrepute’. He pleaded guilty and was found guilty on both charges. The hearing commenced on 1 December 2010 and was finalised on 12 January 2011.
The disciplinary action was reportedly taken over his handling of the coverage of the ANC’s national general council in Durban in September last year.
The Sunday Times reported that SABC news head Phil Molefe began the new year with a purge of senior editors with the first casualty Amrit Manga, the former head of television news who was reassigned to the economics editor position.. It is not established whether Xundu is also part of Molefe’s drive to remove editors who were appointed by his predecessor, Snuki Zikalaa. Xundu’s career, like Zikalala’s, includes a stint as a ministerial spokesperson.
