Polokwane – The National Health Education and Allied Workers’Union (Nehawu) in Limpopo accused Premier Stan Mathabatha of undue influence in the dismissal of provincial government spokesperson Phuti Seloba.
Jacob Adams, Union Secretary, in a statement said that Mathabatha pressured the chairperson of the disciplinary hearing, Viceroy Maoka, to issue a verdict a day after the extension of the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Maoka complied with the premier’s instruction and forwarded it to parties cited in an email which, as a union, we are privy to, thus a demand was put for them (Seloba and his legal counsel) to mitigate, despite knowledge of a persisting lockdown throughout the country,” said Adams.
There is a claim that the premier made sure that one of the officials in his office, Emmanuel Mudau, pressured Seloba, by allowing him to deliver a document to his house during lockdown that notified him and his attorneys to submit mitigating factors.
However, Seloba was dismissed without submitting mitigating factors, even though the notification that he could no access his attorneys during the lockdown.
“In our view, there was nothing urgent to warrant the visit to Mr Seloba by Mr Mudau during lockdown, as whatever outstanding issue could have been dealt wit when the lockdown was over”
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