The Mohokare municipality – that includes Zastron and Smithfield – lost its bid in the Labour Court in Johannesburg earlier this month to set aside an arbitration award to two senior officials.
The officials – Pay Roll Officer, Sophy Nzula, and Skills Development officer, Kelebone Makhube – were dismissed by the municipality after a forensic report by the Auditor-General found they were involved with illegal and fraudulent electronic payments amounting to thousands of rands to their personal bank accounts.
The report states that some of the payments could have included the officials’ salaries, but that could not be verified.
The Bargaining Council, however, found in September 2012 that their dismissal were substantively and procedurally unfair because the report was found to be hearsay and not admissible because of the lack of direct evidence to verify its content and findings.
It then ordered the municipality to reinstate Makhube and reward Nzula.
The Labour court, however, dismissed the municipality’s application for review of the order and found that the arbitration award was reasonable.
Spokesperson for the municipality, Lehlohonolo Mafatman, said he cannot comment on the judgment because “the subject matter is sub judice”.
He did not indicate with the municipality is going to appeal the judgment.
Cathy Dlodlo/Courant News
