Durban - A senior civil servant has been being given his old job back after a 14-year battle.
Eric Ramsamy is to rejoin the national Department of Public Works (DPW), after the Public Service Bargaining Council (PSBC) reinstated him following his dismissal in 2001.
He will leave his current job in the KwaZulu-Natal Community Safety and Liaison Department, where he has been the chief financial officer.
Ramsamy, whose brother, Sam, is a member of the International Olympic Committee, was dismissed at DPW after being found guilty of misconduct in a disciplinary hearing while he was a deputy director for client services.
After his dismissal, he faced fraud charges involving R64 000, but the charges were withdrawn, his attorney Jay Reddy said.
Yesterday, Ramsamy’s past came under the spotlight when the DA claimed he was holding positions within two different government departments – something denied by Reddy and the Community Safety and Liaison Department.
Sizwe Mchunu, DA leader in the legislature, said the department’s portfolio committee heard on Tuesday that Ramsamy had been instructed by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to report for work at the provincial Department of Public Works.
“This, after his protracted legal battle with the former (employer) came to an end,” Mchunu said about his reinstatement by the PSBC, which he mistook for the CCMA.
He also said Ramsamy had not formally resigned.
“The head of department (HOD) said he had not reported for work and his absence from work can be regarded as having absconded. The new HOD said ‘we are in limbo’,” Mchunu said.
“The entire situation requires clarification in terms of whether this individual is drawing two salaries from two different government departments,” he said.
Community Safety and Liaison HOD Themba Mavundla was unavailable for comment.
Department spokesman Kwanele Ncalane confirmed Ramsamy had been reinstated to his former position after arbitration in his favour.
“We found the suggestions by the DA that Mr Ramsamy has been earning two salaries mischievous as the matter was explained to all portfolio committee members this week.”
Contacted for comment, Ramsamy referred questions to his attorney, Reddy, who represented him in the arbitration.
Reddy said his client would not comment in case it affected his relationship with the DPW.
“Any statement concerning the matter should come from DPW,” Reddy said.
He said it had been a long journey for Ramsamy to have the cloud over his head lifted after he was dismissed and also faced criminal charges years ago.
Ramsamy had even approached the Labour Court to seek an order compelling the PSBC to appoint another commissioner when the one that first handled the case did not finalise it, Reddy said.
He also said it was not until three years ago that a second PSBC commissioner found his dismissal unfair, and started a process to decide on a relief, which became reinstatement.
Ramsamy, Reddy said, would also be remunerated for the three years he was unemployed prior to being hired by the KwaZulu-Natal department.
“He suffered a tremendous deal of indignity through the false accusations. It was totally unwarranted,” Reddy said of the disciplinary hearing and criminal prosecution.
“The matter has been put to rest now and he was always confident that justice would be done,” Reddy said.
Daily News