Suspended Amatola Water CEO in renewed battle to return to work
Axed Amatola Water CEO Vuyo Zitumane has gone back to the CCMA to ask it to compel the water board to allow her to resume her duties and pay her the R736,000 awarded to her during arbitration.
Zitumane’s lawyers requested that her laptop be prepared for pickup on Monday, and her e-mail access be reactivated.
On Saturday, Amatola Water wrote to Zitumane to say it had taken its case against her to the labour court to review the CCMA decision that she should resume her duties on Monday.
Through an acting CEO, Boniswa Hele, the board held a special media briefing on Saturday, saying that “we want to make it categorically clear that we will be taking the CCMA arbitration outcome on review”.
In essence, she was not allowed to resume her duties as her suspension remained in place until the labour court finalises the matter, according to Hele.
On Monday, acting on behalf of Zitumane, Java Attorneys director Java Mama wrote to the board indicating its letter was “not the equivalent to an order suspending the implementation of the award”.
Mama said without proper authority suspending the CCMA award, Zitumane has to report for duty.
Mama said the enforcement application was going through CCMA processes.