The court found that the DJ’s dismissal of his ex-domestic worker‚ Nontembiso Vumazonke‚ was “fair” and dismissed the case.
Talking to TMG Entertainment on Friday morning‚ Phat Joe said he was relieved to finally have the matter behind him.
“It’s just a relief. The matter became a serious PR and smear campaign that threatened to overshadow everything but I followed the rules and it’s finally good to have relief‚” he said.
Joe says that he feels the smear campaign against him was brought forward by the SA Domestic Service and Allied Workers’ Union (Sadsawu) and that the body had used his dispute with his domestic worker to gain support for their movement.
“The union took advantage of her (Nontembiso) to drum up support. They used her and our situation as a rallying cry‚” he said.
“I had a great relationship with her (Nontembiso). I even offered to help her find work but after the smear campaign against me it has become difficult to speak to her.”
Joe was taken to the CCMA in February for unfair labour practice‚ after he allegedly dismissed his long-time domestic worker via SMS and refused to take her calls.
Read Phat Joe's full statement below:
I am relieved. I treated my housekeeper fairly, compensated her fairly, and even offered to assist her in getting work now in April. It’s unfortunate that she went ahead under the ill advice of the union to publicly smear my name and call me an "abuser of workers" rights. I am thankful to the South African legal system. This is another case of just when you’re about to give up hope, a light shines through to reinforce your belief in the system.
I was the one who was abused in this case, and I look forward to righting that wrong. The media coverage was not fair as the press went ahead and printed unsubstantiated allegations against me. I correctly chose to stay silent, not comment, and let the process take its course.
The union misled its well meaning members to take up my housekeepers cause and protest against me. Instead of applauding the way I handled the situation with my housekeeper, they chose to invert reality and use my position as a public figure to drum up support for their nefarious cause. This experience was like an attempted Mafioso shakedown, with my son having had to endure the humiliation of the lies the Union and My former housekeeper perpetrated about me and my personal life, via their numerous press releases and press interviews.
I’ve always treated my employees fairly, and will continue to do so.
