Jakavula takes fight to labour courts

Leonard Neill FORMER SPOORNET chief executive Zandile Jakavula will go all the way to fight Transnet's decision to dismiss him over his purchase of a holiday home in Port Alfred earlier this year. "I will challenge their decision in the courts, and I am satisfied that the housing saga was merely used as a means of getting rid of me," he told FTW this week. "There is far more to this than what has been made public by Transnet and the truth will yet come out." Transnet announced last Friday that it had dismissed Jakavula after his failure to accept a demotion to the post of human resources manager and return to work by the previous day. Transnet also stated that it required him to return the holiday home to Spoornet, and to refund half of his incentive bonus. But later Transnet spokesman Tami Didiza stated that Transnet would not take either away from him, but would explore legal options to recover any money it believed was owed on the house renovations. "I have accepted the dismissal and I have peace of mind about that," said Jakavula. "But what they have done to me is totally unfair. I am discussing the matter with my lawyers and will fight them in the courts on the score of unfair dismissal. "All I did was buy the house when I found it was available. Spoornet employees get first opportunity to buy up unwanted Spoornet houses, and a price was established. I did not go into the matter of what other values are involved. I am not in the business of property sales. "I am perfectly satisfied that I went along the prescribed route to have the regular Spoornet renovators employed to get the place in order, and I have met all the costs involved in both the house price and the renovations. To page 16 From page 1 "I have been roundly praised in business and in the media for the manner in which I initially turned Metrorail around from a heavy loss to a big profit, and then did much the same for Spoornet. You don't take a person with an unblemished record like that and treat him in the manner I have suffered. The whole thing was aimed at humiliating me. "The official commission appointed to investigate the matter took eight days and didn't find me to be such a problem. But their findings do not appear to have been what some people wanted, and so a second opinion was sought, which recommended I be dismissed. "I am satisfied they wanted me out. It will not end here. I have the right to appeal through the courts and that is what I am doing." Members of the Black Management Forum arranged to meet Transnet chairman Bongani Khumalo this week to discuss the dismissal. Government officials have also been approached by other influential bodies, including the Methodist church of which Jakavula is a deacon, with a request that a new approach be taken. Transnet chief executive Mafika Mkwanazi remains adamant, however, that Jakavula was solely responsible for the decisions taken. He said this week that Jakavula had Ôdisplayed lamentable judgment in buying the house without following proper procedures and allowing it to be renovated by Spoornet staff.'