Faith Nene arrived at the premises of the Zululand Municipality offices armed with a court order reinstating as the Community Services manager. | Supplied
Durban — Zululand District Municipality Community Services director, Faith Kabo Nene, who was unfairly dismissed by the Municipality has threatened to lay charges of contempt of court against the municipal manager for failing to pay her salary as per the court order.
Nene, who claimed that her dismissal was influenced by mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi because she turned down his sexual advances, returned to work after the municipality's appeal was dismissed by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Friday. Nene, who is from Vryheid in the north of KwaZulu-Natal arrived at work under police escort this morning fearing she might be physically barred from entering the municipal premises.
Speaking to the Daily News on Monday she said she had met the municipal manager and asked him to process her salary payment as per the court order. The municipal manager said the municipality was appealing the court decision but Nene said in the absence of a document proving that the municipality had lodged the appeal, she was entitled to be paid her salary.
She vowed to go to the police station on Tuesday to lay charges of contempt of court against the municipal manager as the accounting officer.
"Today I came to work under police guard because I did not know what would happen and in case I was physically prevented from accessing the office. I am waiting for my salary and by the end of business today I expect to have my salary paid or shown the letter of the appeal, otherwise I will charge the municipal manager for contempt of court," said Nene.
The municipality spokesperson, Zanele Mthethwa said : “Petition to appeal has already been lodged in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein therefore Ms Nene’s contract of employment remains terminated”
Last month the Pietermaritzburg High Court ordered the municipality to reinstate Nene. The court also ordered the municipality to reimburse her salary from the month she was dismissed until the end of the last month.
The court found that Nene qualified for the job and her dismissal was a breach of contract. Nene took the matter to court challenging her dismissal on December 20 last year.
In her founding affidavit, she stated that her dismissal was prompted by a restraining order she had obtained against the mayor on December 12 , whom she accused of sexual harassment, but the municipality had appealed the judgment.
Nene was employed in August 2022 after the post was advertised by the municipality. After her employment, Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs raised eyebrows by questioning her qualifications and experience.
But the municipality defended her employment and produced her qualifications which included an honours degree in education. When the municipality fired Nene, it cited the Cogta query as the reason but failed to provide the court with the department’s findings on the appointment.
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