Labour Court Rejects Appeal in Bursary Fraud Case
Thembile Mabhaso, a former Operating Standards Specialist at Astron Energy, lost his Labour Court appeal after being dismissed for misusing bursary funds, reports IOL. Mabhaso received R25,500 from his employer in 2019 to cover UCT registration fees but only paid R10,000, using the rest for personal expenses. He later requested his employer to pay the outstanding amount, which had increased due to interest. After failing to provide proof of full payment, he was charged with misconduct and dismissed in January 2021. In 2024, Mabhaso attempted to appeal the dismissal but filed his case late and represented himself.
Western Cape Teaching Post Reductions a Difficult, Unavoidable Decision
Western Cape Education MEC David Maynier said that cutting over 2,400 teaching posts was difficult but necessary due to the national government's failure to fund the public sector wage agreement fully, reports EWN. Contract teachers won't be rehired, and some permanent staff will be reassigned. Western Cape Education Crisis Committee's Abeedah Adams warns that the cuts affect not only current staff but also future graduates entering a shrinking job market. The department said it continues to engage with the National Treasury to find a solution to the crisis.
Court Clears Zeerust Hospital of Negligence
The North West High Court cleared Zeerust Hospital of negligence after a woman, identified as LLM, claimed the hospital failed to detect she was pregnant with twins and left a dead fetus in her womb for 30 days, reports IOL. LLM sought R1.8 million in damages, alleging the hospital missed the twin pregnancy after her April 2018 admission for bleeding and pain. Despite her claims and reports from two doctors, the court found inconsistencies in her testimony and deemed the expert report insufficient. The judge dismissed the case, citing a lack of strong evidence and medical records.
