“We do not wish to alert the applicant of our intention” – State Attorneys writes to Community Safety, Roads, and Transport 

Staff reporter 

Bloemfontein – The assistant state attorney, A. Geca has come out guns blazing in what can be described as an effort to frustrate the arbitration process in the matter between Papi Masilo and Department of Community Safety, Roads, and Transport (CSR&T).   

STEPUPSANEWS is in possession of letter Amandla Geca warns Mrs Mafata at CSR&T.

This in relation to the alleged unlawful dismissal of Papi Masilo whose contract was terminated while the disciplinary hearing was still on, in fact, Masilo had asked for a copy of delegated powers and appointment letter of acting head of department. 

Hardly a 72 hours later, without mitigating or aggravating from either side, he was served with the dismissal letter. 

In the letter dated, 8 May 2025, Geca says they do not wish to alert applicant  of the intention.

“Kindly provide us with a case number if same was served on you as we do not wish to alert the applicant of our intention to raise this point.”

The point Geca is referring to is in relation to her challenges tracing the matter in Labour court but is this behaviour ethical from state attorney?

Geca also points how the department literally messed up their own case.

“What is concerning is the manner in which the termination was affected and the timing too:

– the department ought to have reviewed the decision to appoint the applicant under permanent contract, 

– the department ought to have engaged the applicant for purposes of terminating the contract mutually.

While State Attorney acknowledges the department have acted unlawfully, a month later, she, on behalf of the same department launched papers in labour court to declare the appointment null and void. 

According to the affidavit of Dr Masego Tshabalala, head of Department, she only became aware of these irregularities in 2024, this she says unprovoked. 

Dr Tshabalala suspended Masilo a year earlier in 2023, why did she suspend him if she was not aware?

What’s even worse is the department wants labour court to declare the appointment of Masilo unlawful  when they terminated his contract in April 2024, there is no employer/employee relationship but this  is aimed at blocking bargaining council from hearing this matter in August. 

Tshabalala is more often than not, very economic with the truth. 

She threw Joyce “Pretenders” Mathae, former  MEC for CSR&T under the bus and she lied in the Internal Question Papers, she also lied to Bargaining Council in another Labour matter.  

Other than that, Muhammed Ismail has been chilling at home since 15 August 2023, on full pay. The disciplinary hearing is showing the department flames, this under Tshabalala.  

This is a developing story.

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