Bill likely to be R3m, estimates Solidarity

THE Department of Correctional Services would spend at least R2.4 million defending a legal challenge against its employment equity plan, according to trade union Solidarity.

The matter was developing into “one of the most expensive labour law cases in South African history”.

The union added that R2.4m was a conservative figure that included only advocates’ fees.

Along with other legal costs – such as that of expert witnesses and preparation for the hearing – he expected the bill would be more than R3m.

They had spent about R1.3m already.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Solidarity’s deputy general secretary Dirk Hermann said that their legal costs would amount to less than a quarter of what the department was expected to pay.

While the department has two senior counsel accompanied by two juniors, the applicants in the court struggle – the trade union and 10 Correctional Services employees – has one senior and one junior counsel.

Hermann said their frustration about the department’s legal costs was that public money was being used to finance their fight to keep a “discriminatory” employment equity plan.

They further believed that the department was drawing out the case.

Hermann said the trade union was prepared to take the matter to the Constitutional Court, which would prove even more costly, and suspected that the department was prepared to do the same.

Picture: MASIXOLE FENI CHALLENGE: Correctional Services deputy regional commissioner, Freddie Engelbrecht, 52 leaves the Labour Court where he was a litigant challenging his employer’s equity policy. He has more than three decades of service.