Avatar photo

By Ilse de Lange

Journalist


HR officer loses defamation case

The officer lost his R1.6 million defamation claim against the justice minister and director-general.


A human resources officer at the justice department who was taken in for questioning after acting “suspiciously” when a batch of fraudulently ordered iPads arrived at the office has lost his R1.6 million defamation claim against the justice minister and director-general.

Judge Nomsa Khumalo dismissed Sekitle Mashedi’s claim for his tarnished dignity and reputation, trauma, post-traumatic stress and loss of earnings with costs.

Mashedi claimed the director-general, Paul Nel (who was not at the office that day), had in May 2012 unlawfully accused him of misconduct, causing him to be arrested in front of his co-workers and his computer, printer and cellphones being confiscated.

The department’s acting human resources director withdrew the accusation of unlawful conduct almost a year later.

Khumalo found management’s suspicions were genuine and their conduct justified.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.

For more news your way

Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.