Axed spin doctor to fight back
JUST over a year after Ayabulela Ngoqo was appointed as Buffalo City Metro mayor Xola Pakati’s spokesman and speech writer, he has been fired from the annual R1.1-million job.
His was fired last month for allegedly absconding. However, the seasoned spin doctor, who has worked for several government departments, will not take his axing lying down, and he plans to contest his “unfair dismissal” in court.
The Daily Dispatch has seen a letter from head of corporate services Bob Naidoo, which reads: “Please be advised that the head of directorate made a determination to terminate your services with effect from August 15 2017.
“You are therefore instructed to return the municipality laptop and 3G card in working condition and any other assets that may be in your possession, failing which the municipality will have to recover costs of these assets from your leave accruals or pension benefits.”
Naidoo further told Ngoqo that he had the right to take the matter to the bargaining council if he wanted to contest it.
A fuming Ngoqo said he had been unfairly treated, claiming he was last paid in May.
“It’s been five months now and that includes a bonus that I was supposed to get this month. They even defied a court order that compelled them to pay me,” said Ngoqo.
In the court order seen by the Dispatch, dated August 30, the court orders the metro to pay Ngoqo all salaries due to him.
“The respondent’s action of terminating [the] applicant’s salary and/or emoluments, including benefits the applicant is entitled to, be hereby declared unlawful, invalid and of no force and effect.
“The respondent is ordered to calculate and pay all salaries and/or emoluments, including benefits due and payable to the applicant in terms of the contractual agreement,” reads the order.
Instead, the metro terminated his contract.
“This fight is personal. These people even terminated my medical aid and you really don’t know what is the beef. I could not go to work because they failed to pay my salaries and now it’s an issue to them, saying I’ve absconded?
“I am currently busy consulting my lawyers regarding this matter,” Ngoqo said.
BCM spokesman Sam Ngwenya said it was important to distance any “cooked political conspiracy theories”.
“It’s purely coincidental that it is a political office that Mr Ngoqo happened to be working on. This is a labour-related matter and it relates to employer and employee relations.
“And as such, to protect Mr Ngoqo and his reputation going forward, as we always do, we will not be commenting on the details of his relationship with the city,” said Ngwenya.