News24 reports that the General Public Service Sectoral Bargaining Council (GPSSC) has ordered the reinstatement of Limpopo government spokesperson Phuti Seloba after it found that his suspension had been illegal and unfair.
The GPSSC ordered that Seloba be allowed to resume his duties on Monday, and that he be paid an equivalent of four months' salary as compensation. Seloba received the suspension letter on 6 November 2019, following allegations that he had since 2017 been divulging sensitive information to the EFF provincial chairperson, who posted that information on a social media platform late last year. Seloba then challenged his suspension on the basis that it was illegal and unfair. Meantime, the employer proceeded with the disciplinary hearing, the outcome of which is still awaited. At the GPSSC hearing, evidence was led that Seloba only received the main charges last month after he wrote a letter to his employer as a reminder that his 60-day suspension had lapsed. In his finding, the GPSSC panellist said: "In the circumstances, the applicant (Seloba) had a courtesy to make the employer/respondent aware that the suspension lapsed as per the collective agreement. The employer did nothing to postpone or to extend the suspension. I take it that the respondent's action was deliberate. The fact that the applicant was paid the salary during the time he was on suspension did not license the respondent to do as it wished." However, a provincial spokesperson indicated that Seloba would not be allowed to return to work because the employer would be challenging the award “on the basis that it has nothing to do with the main charges of which the decision is still awaited.”
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Russel Molefe at News24
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