A ruling is expected in the Johannesburg Labour Court on Friday morning on whether former South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) chief operating officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng should be held liable in his personal capacity for the wrongful dismissal of the SABC8.

Suna Venter, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay, Thandeka Gqubule, Busisiwe Ntuli, Lukhanyo Calata, Vuyo Mvoko and Jacques Steenkamp were fired by the public broadcaster in July 2016 for speaking out against Motsoeneng's policy of no longer airing footage of violent protests.

Seven of the eight journalists were subsequently rehired following a High Court ruling.

Unions Solidarity and Broadcasting, Electronic, Media & Allied Workers Union (Bemawu) made the case against Motsoeneng, former SABC news head Simon Tebele and the SABC to pay for the SABC8's legal costs against the public broadcaster.

Motsoeneng was removed as COO after the Supreme Court of Appeal in September 2016 rejected his bid to appeal the Western Cape High Court's November 2015 ruling declaring his appointment irrational and setting it aside.

In June, the SABC announced Motsoeneng's dismissal after he was found guilty by an internal disciplinary hearing where charges of bringing the SABC into disrepute and causing irreparable damage to his employer were investigated.

The internal disciplinary committee found that he lied about his qualifications, that he purged the SABC of staff and promoted people and raised salaries without following the correct procedures.