Sunday Times Daily reports that a salary dispute involving Bishop Samuel Molefe and his former employer, the Apostolic Faith Mission of SA (AFM), is set to be heard by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) in Mahikeng on Friday.
Molefe, who served the Lehurutshe branch of the church near Zeerust between 1987 and 2017, reached his retirement age in 2017 when he turned 65. The church board granted him a five-year contract from 2017 to 2022. After the end of his five-year contract, his tenure was extended by an additional two months, ending in June 2023. In documents submitted to the CCMA, Molefe alleges that the church owes him severance pay, unpaid salaries, leave compensation and a 13th cheque. He has not disclosed the total amount he believes is outstanding. A senior church member disputed these claims, stating that Molefe never raised concerns about outstanding payments during his tenure. The conflict officially began on 1 July 2023, after the conclusion of Molefe’s contract. After private resolution efforts failed, he approached the CCMA in December 2023. A conciliation hearing in January 2024 was unsuccessful, leading to arbitration. The church unsuccessfully challenged the CCMA’s jurisdiction. “The CCMA has the requisite jurisdiction to conciliate the dispute,” ruled commissioner Lenkwasi Collins Makama on 26 January 2024.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Kenneth Mokgatlhe Wa Kgwadi at Sunday Times Daily (subscriber access only)
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