A parliamentary inquiry into the affairs of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) will go ahead on Wednesday despite a renewed legal bid by the board chairperson Mbulaheni Maguvhe to interdict MPs from continuing with the probe.

“There is no court order as we speak that prevents this committee from continuing its work and so shall it be. We will continue today,” announced Vincent Smith, chairperson of Parliament’s ad hoc committee conducting the inquiry.

Smith’s announcement came after the committee retreated to behind closed doors to discuss how they will proceed following news that Maguvhe would appeal a ruling in the high court in Cape Town on Friday in which his application to interdict the inquiry from going ahead was dismissed.

MPs have also instructed Parliament’s legal team to take “whatever steps necessary” to ensure the SABC complies with a summons to table all documents relevant to the inquiry, including those relating to the controversial multi-million rand deal giving pay-TV operator MultiChoice access to the SABC’s archives.

“This committee wants those documents. We’ve instructed the legal team to go to the highest courts in the land if needs be, but its non-negotiable that Parliament is refused documents we’ve requested on the 17th of November,” said Smith.

Maguvhe and controversial SABC executive Hlaudi Motsoeneng were present on Wednesday as Smith made the committee’s decision known.

Representatives from the Auditor-General, the Public Protector and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) would testify during day one of the proceedings.