The South African National Editors Forum (Sanef) on Friday expressed shock at the suspension of three senior editorial staff at the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC).

"Economics Editor Thandeka Gqubule, RSG executive producer Foeta Krige and senior journalist Suna Venter have been suspended for disagreeing with an instruction during a diary conference not to cover the Right2Know (R2K) campaign’s protest against censorship at the public broadcaster," Sanef said in a statement.

The R2K led protests outside SABC offices in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town on Monday against the South African Broadcasting Corporation chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s increasing sway over editorial decisions at the public broadcaster, most significantly his decision not to cover protests.

"Sanef urges the SABC to immediately lift the suspensions of these journalists. Journalists in a constitutional democracy have a right to express themselves freely.

"Sanef will write to the SABC to insist that it must respect the rights to freedom of thought and expression of journalists."