Pule’s man sent packing

FORMER Dina Pule spin doctor Wisani Ngobeni has lost a Labour Court bid to save his government job.

The former journalist was spokesman for Pule when she was communications minister.

Ngobeni was dismissed by the department on June 27 after being found guilty in a disciplinary inquiry held in his absence.

He applied to the Labour Court to set aside his dismissal and disciplinary steps against him.

On Friday, the court dismissed his urgent application.

Ngobeni, who was suspended in April, was charged with five counts of misconduct related to the hiring of a service provider that allegedly inflated prices. Ngobeni was found to have links with the company.

The charges related to a function the department hosted in June last year. The department alleged, among other things, that he had acted improperly and unlawfully in the appointment of service providers for the function.

Ngobeni claimed the hearing was unfair and its chairwoman, Lesego Montsho, biased.

Judge Robert Lagrange said Ngobeni was not able to explain why he could not use ordinary litigation to obtain the relief he sought on an urgent basis.

The judge said Ngobeni had failed to demonstrate that no suitable alternative relief was available to him, or that he would suffer irreparable harm if he could not obtain immediate relief.

Lagrange said if Ngobeni was proven right in proceedings in due course, he would be entitled to full recompense and his position would be restored.

Ngobeni was charged with five counts of misconduct

This would not be the case if Ngobeni obtained an interim reinstatement and the department was ultimately successful, because it would have been compelled to extend the employment and remuneration of someone it had not been not obliged to retain.

Ngobeni said this was not a victory for the department, because issues he had raised had not been dealt with.

A spokesman for the department said the matter was “between the department and Mr Ngobeni”.