DURBAN - MORE than 40 eThekwini Metro Police vehicles are expected to go under the hammer next month after the municipality failed to settle a debt of millions it owed to two senior police officers.
The officers won a Labour Court case against the appointment of Durban Metro Police head Steve Middleton.
M Dlamini Attorneys, acting on behalf of officers Aubrey Mthethwa and Nhlanhla Mthethwa, have instructed the sheriff to attach the metro police assets and sell them for their clients to get their money.
Office manager at the attorneys, Sbonga Dlamini, told the Daily News on Monday that the auction date has also been set for September 21 at the Sheriff’s Durban Coastal offices.
Dlamini said that the matter emanated from the appointment of Middleton in 2018.
The Mthethwas and officers Eric Khuzwayo and Siphiwe Ndlovu challenged the appointment at the Bargaining Council.
The council ruled that Middleton’s appointment was irregular and that the Mthethwas were more suitable for the promotion than Middleton.
The Bargaining Council ruled in favour of the two. Dlamini said that the metro police had failed to pay out his clients the money that was due to them.
Dlamini said the council then ordered the metro police to promote the pair and pay them the salary grade of Middleton with backpay from the day that Middleton was appointed.
Middleton’s salary grade is believed to fetch R1.5 million per annum.
Dlamini has calculated that from 2018 to present, the metro police owed the officers an estimated R10m.
According to Labour Court papers that the Daily News has seen, the municipality was granted an order to interdict the attachment of its assets and was ordered to bring the application of the stay of the attachment within seven days. Dlamini said that it had not done so.
Dlamini said after the lapse of seven days without the municipality applying for the stay of the execution of the attachment, his firm had ordered the sheriff to attach the vehicles.
Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said he could not comment on the matter.
Municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela denied that the vehicles were attached. Mayisela said the municipality has applied for the review of the Bargaining Council award at the Labour Court.
Therefore it cannot honour the content of the award it was still challenging in court.
Mayisela said the municipality has applied for the stay of the execution of the attachment which was set down for Friday in the Durban Labour Court.
Daily News