Acting Tshwane Mayor Abel Tau on Sunday said suspended head of human settlements Nontobeko Memela would not be prevented from going back to work after being on suspension for a year.
The Labour Court found the city to be in contempt of court for not obeying a June ruling to reinstate Memela. It also sentenced outgoing acting city manager Moeketsi Ntsimane to a suspended three months in prison if Memela was not reinstated by the end of this week.
Memela’s disciplinary hearings were postponed several times. Ntsimane challenged the contempt application because the city was appealing the June ruling.
“He might file papers so that the court clarifies but we cannot prevent this employee from coming back to work,” Tau said.
The court said the city wasted taxpayers money by pursuing a case that never reached a conclusion, and by now having to pay Memela for not working for a whole year.