Suspended Ombudsman reports to office for duty

As the legal battle between the suspended Ombudsman and the City drags on, Advocate Sdu Gumede said he will report for duty this morning.

Gumede was suspended in May but quickly launched a Labour Court application which ruled in his favour. On 15 June, the Labour Court ruled that Gumede’s suspension was unlawful and invalid.

His move to report back for duty on 19 June was cut short by the news that the City was appealing the court judgement, and he subsequently had to go back home.

According to Gumede, it seemed like the City had abandoned its application for leave to appeal.

“That move (application for leave to appeal) was clearly to keep me away,” Gumede said.

On 11 August, Gumede’s lawyers wrote to the City’s lawyers informing them that Gumede would return for duty this on 14 August.

“Your client’s patently lackadaisical approach to pursuit of the Application for Leave to Appeal is a clear indication of the fact that said application was filed only for the purpose of suspending the judgement of the Labour Court in order to keep our client out of his office, and as such, is a clear abuse of power,” read the letter from Gumede’s legal team to the City’s lawyers.

Gumede’s lawyers also instructed the City’s lawyers that all tools of trade that were repossessed by the City after Gumede’s suspension must be returned to him in order to enable him to properly carry out his functions.

This is a developing story and updates will be published as information becomes available.

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