CCMA Questions Phat Joe for unfair firing domestic via SMS

TAKING celebrity and radio personality Phat Joe to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration for allegedly firing his domestic worker via SMS must send a clear message to employers.

This was the message from the SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers Union (Sadsawu), which came to support Nontembiso Vumazonke. Vumazonke has taken her former employer, Phat Joe, whose real name is Majota Kambule, to the CCMA for unfair labour practice.

Read: Phat Joe fired domestic via SMS

Both parties presented their cases to commissioner Janine Carelse on Monday. Vumazonke had worked for Kambule three days a week since 2011. She was, however, an unregistered worker, and at the end of last year was dismissed via SMS, she said.

When she tried contacting Kambule after taking leave, he allegedly would not answer his phone. Sadsawu said Kambule also refused to take calls from them and failed to respond to various emails. Union members accompanied Vumazonke to the CCMA sitting on Monday.

Sadsawu provincial organiser Sindiswa Ningiza said Kambule did not deny sending the SMS, but said he did not receive some of the union’s messages. He also allegedly denied mistreating Vumazonke.

“We have solutions for employers and employees. Even for those who have more money, they come down to us and we resolve the problems,” she said.

Everyone who has a domestic worker, they must register the domestic worker and give the domestic worker respect and respect their rights. “Domestic work is decent work,” Ningiza added.

Kambule would not comment on Monday. Vumazonke said she wanted to be compensated for the manner in which she was fired after the five years she had worked for Kambule. “I am the breadwinner in my home, I am a mother and father,” she said, adding that the loss of her job had impacted her ability to take care of her three young children.

She added that she wanted Khambule to admit what he had done.

“I feel good after today,” she added.

The matter was postponed and Vumazonke said they would be notified in the coming weeks of the next CCMA sitting.