SASOLBURG – For almost two years without a directive from the court since the lodging of a racism complaint implicating a Sasolburg restaurant (which is under new management now that has nothing to do with this case), there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel.
Lehlogonolo Mathabatha, a former employee, appeared before the Equality Court at the Sasolburg Magistrate’s Court on July 4.
Mathababtha was the whistleblower who opened a case of racism against the owners of the bar for placing pictures of President Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma, his ex-wife Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and EFF leader Julius Malema in urinals.
A 31-second video depicting a duo inside a restroom where the printed photos can be seen, recently surfaced.
Following the brief court sitting, the case has been postponed to July 22. Ster spoke to Mathababtha, who shared how the drama started, leading to her dismissal.
“My situation started right after being appointed as a head waiter. My colleagues raised grievances, demanding a minimum wage. When I raised that with the manager, I was treated differently and exposed to inhumane treatment like sweeping the entire restaurant yard, including the parking lot and the roof while serving customers,” she said.
Mathabatha said she was accused of instigating and was called names before facing hearings and endless meetings.
“The owners saw me as an instigator, calling me the wannabe Julius Malema. I was told not to come to work because I failed to sign a changed contract. I told them I was going to take the matter further.”
“They issued me a hearing letter claiming I stole from customers. They changed and said I’m defrauding the company and manipulating the system,” she said.
Despite the back and forth with her former employees, Mathabatha was finally dismissed; however, her battle gained traction when the Human Rights Commission in the Free State acknowledged her case in April 2023.
“The case has been postponed for a long time. In 2024, there was no response from the court, but eventually, they conducted the hearing. I’m happy that I got the support from the MEC and different civil and political parties.”
“I’ve had moments of anxiety for my story not being heard. I had sleepless nights and moments of losing hope,” she said.
Several civic organisations packed the court in support of Mathabatha.
Addressing the gathered crowds outside the court, the MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism in the Free State, Moses Ketso Makume said, “We can’t have an entity practicing racism, that is why we took an interest in supporting Mathabatha. The Free State has a history of racist practices.”
