The Herald reported early last year that the executive director of community services, Mr Daniel Mtwakaziwa Hobe, was suspended due to irregularities at the Rooipoort rubbish dump.
The labour court judge, Robert Lagrange found that Hobe’s suspension had been unlawful, however, and the municipality had no choice but to reinstate him. He ordered that the suspension is set aside and that the respondents, the Merafong City Local Municipality, the acting municipal manager, Ms Antoinette Rinky Ngwenya and the executive mayor, Ms Maphefo Mogale-Letsie must allow Hobe to return to work and resume his duties with immediate effect.
Hobe’s problems were still far from over, however, and the municipality then went on to dismiss him in July last year. Represented by a lawyer of the union IMATU (Independent Municipal and Allied Trade Union), Mr Vuyo Mkwibiso, Hobe won his case at the South African Local Government Bargaining Council in Benoni. The ruling, which was received in April, stated that Hobe had to be reinstated in his old position and that he had to be granted extra compensation of four months’ salary.
But the municipality has asked for the labour court to set this matter aside and the legal battle now continues in this court.
In recent years, the municipality has lost a lot of money on legal costs in cases it has lost. These funds could have been spent on service delivery instead. While many that were lost also involved labour issues, others dealt with disputes with mines in the area.
‘Mr Hobe and the municipality are currently engaged in court but the matter has not been resolved yet,’ a municipal spokesperson said on Tuesday.
