In a letter to ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, Lele Mamatu had accused Gregory Nthatisi and Centlec CEO Malefane Sekoboto of colluding to financially and professionally ruin him. But Nthatisi said Mamatu failed to follow established labour procedures in raising his grievances, opting instead to go public and involve political structures.

“When you are a worker, there are procedures, prescripts and labour relations prescripts as defined by the Labour Relations Act on how you must attend to a grievance,” said Nthatisi.

“Now if you do not attend your grievance through those procedures, but you then go to social media to name and shame the council and the institution that you belong to, as well as its baby (sic) Centlec, you are immediately causing a grievous mistake because you have to follow procedures.”

The metro council only learned of Mamatu’s dispute with Sekoboto through social media and news reports, Nthatisi added. After taking the matter to the ANC instead of Mangaung’s leadership, the party referred Mamatu back to his employer.

Mamatu complicated matters by approaching the courts while simultaneously seeking political intervention, said Nthatisi. 

“He is naming and shaming everybody along the way, and only at the point where he had gone to court, now making the matter sub judice, would he then want to enter into discussion with us. By so doing, if we take a decision with him against court proceedings and he does not cancel his case first, it would actually be an interference in the law processes, and that can be used against us.”

The metro advised Mamatu it’s a labour matter and the metro’s leadership would not interfere unless ordered to do so by a court.

A key condition for engaging Mamatu would be an apology for his public statements, said Nthatisi. 

‘Must understand the distinction between political deployment and employment’

“If you are to come to us and ask us to intervene, just know one of the greatest demands we are going to put before you is that you have gone public on the matter you want us to resolve. You shall have to go back to the public and apologise for bringing the institutions into disrepute."

“So we are at that point to say we are still willing to listen to you, but just know one critical aspect is you have brought our name into disrepute on an issue that, first and foremost, we were not informed about. On procedural discipline, you acted out of mandate and out of context.”

Mamatu must understand the distinction between political deployment and employment, said Nthatisi. 

“People (who) are deployed are those (who) carry the mandate of the organisation at the level of political instruction, but there are those (who) are employed. So I am not going to treat an employee like a ‘deployee’. 

“When you are an employee, you are governed by the Labour Relations Act; behave like one.”

Mamatu had accused Nthatisi of offering to assist him only under conditions that would please Sekoboto. He also alleged that Nthatisi was involved in an internal ANC battle.

Chronic conditions

Painting a dire picture of his personal circumstances, Mamatu said he had not been paid for three months, his medical aid had been suspended, and his chronic health conditions had worsened. 

“I am sick, and I have chronic conditions. I’m on life-saving treatment, meaning I could lose my life at any given time if help is not sought soon.”

On Friday, 3 October, he nearly died after missing a dialysis session due to a lack of funds, he said. Without medical aid, each session now costs him R2,500, which he cannot afford.

‘They took my future away from my kids, they took my family’

“They took my job, they took my future away from my kids, they took my family, they took my belongings, they took my hard work for cars, they took my hard work for houses. They are no different from Ace Magashule if they claim he did this to them.”

Meanwhile, on 1 July, the High Court in Bloemfontein ordered Mamatu’s immediate reinstatement and gave him 14 days to apply for a formal review of the alleged dismissal. However, Sekoboto challenged the ruling, leaving Mamatu in limbo.

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OFM News/Kekeletso Mosebetsi mvh