SARS Employee to Join the Unemployment Line After Tax Agency Wins Case to Fire “Sick” Worker Seen at EFF March

• The SA Revenue Service employee can finally fire an employee after the Labour Court ruled in its favour
• The employee was caught out after taking sick leave only to attend an EFF protest in Sandton
• The judge found that the tax agency was wholly within its right to terminate the dishonest employee

JOHANNESBURG - The South African Revenue Service (Sars) has been given the green light to axe one of its employees who abused sick leave.

The saga dates back to September 2020 when Sars junior investigator Benneth Mathebula called in to work, claiming he was too sick to go in, IOL reported.

Mathebula's bosses didn't expect to see the man on TV protesting with fellow Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) members at a Clicks in Sandton.

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Mathebula was initially fired in early 2021 for dishonesty but was reinstated after appealing his terminations at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation, and Arbitration (CCMA). The man was also awarded back pay.

Labour court rules in favour of Sars

Sars turned to the Labour Court to appeal Mathebula's reinstatement.

The court ruled that the CCMA was wrong for ordering Mathebula to be reinstated as he flagrantly disregarded the tax agency's code of conduct, News24 reported.

In handing down the judgement, Judge Graham Moshoana said that Sars was completely within its right to axe Mathebula.

Moshoana criticised:

"Mathebula expected to get away with the enjoyment of supporting the protest march while claiming to be sick."

South Africans amused by Sars employee caught at EFF protest

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Below are some comments:

@SikhoPhilani said:

"Let's see how that "famous" Labour Desk is going to react..."

@Sbonza_G commented:

"Can @EFFSouthAfrica pay his Monthly Salary now? I doubt it."

@SpholaGatsh cautioned:

"EFF must hire him. But he must know he will have to pay 30% back from his salary."

@SirDavid_Dashe questioned:

"What if he went to clicks to fetch medication and saw fighters there?"

@SingyNkuna added:

"People must respect their jobs."

@kgotsomaphike criticised:

"EFF is nowhere to be found to defend them."

North West police officer arrested for altering sick note to add extra day, faces fraud charges in court

In a similar story, Briefly News reported that a police officer in the North West landed himself in a world of trouble by giving himself an extra day of sick leave.

Sergeant Kagiso Motlele was busted by his commander for altering his doctor's note and changing the dates giving himself one more day away from work.

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The 43-year-old officer stationed at the Madibogo police station handed his commander the note in May 2023, but the sick note raised the commander's alarm bells, IOL reported.

Source: Briefly News