Limpopo High Court orders COPE to pay outstanding salaries
Cope owes employees around R400 000 in outstanding salaries, but a lawyer representing two employees last month claimed there was roughly R19 000 left in the party's bank account.
POLOKWANE – Judge Frans Kgomo, in the Limpopo High Court last Tuesday, ruled that Cope has to pay the outstanding salaries of staff members, amounting to around R400 000, as soon as the party received monies owed to them by Limpopo Legislature.
According to Cope Spokesperson, Erick Mohlapamaswi the party accepted the ruling. He said he visited Legislature last Monday, but the amount owed to the party is yet to be determined. It is thought to be in excess of R2 million.
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Cope owes employees around R400 000 in outstanding salaries, but a lawyer representing two employees last month claimed there was roughly R19 000 left in the party’s bank account.
Two former Cope employees took legal steps to recover unpaid salaries. Dolly Rakheila was the party’s finance officer in Limpopo and Darius Sefara served as an administrative officer. They have not been receiving salaries since January last year. Another employee, a cleaner, died more than a year ago and was allegedly also owed money by the party.
Advocate Modidima Mannya, for the employees claimed he had obtained a writ of execution from the Polokwane High Court to attach the party’s bank account.
Employees usually received their salaries on the 25th of each month, but have not received any payouts since January last year. Mannya applied for an attachment of the party’s bank account to pay his clients, only to be told by the sheriff that there was only R19 000 remaining in Cope’s bank account in the province. He then applied for the liquidation of the party four weeks ago.
The two opposing parties however came to an agreement after the court ruled that the national office of Cope cannot accept responsibility for the payment of the outstanding salaries, as it was not a party to the dispute. Cope also argued that the party cannot be liquidated, as it was not a company.
