Durban - A Durban metro cop’s fight for reinstatement has taken a twist after his legal team wrote to the eThekwini city manager on Friday asking the City to reverse the letter terminating his contract.
Captain Peter Keogh, 63, known for his outreach work at schools, old-age homes and townships by entertaining crowds with his guitar, was told on Friday to retire after a Labour Court judge dismissed the matter brought by eThekwini’s legal team and referred to the case as not urgent.
Keogh’s legal team, led by Hassan Cassim, said they were engaging with the Labour Court to place the matter onto the ordinary court roll.
“We are therefore of the opinion that terminating his employment was premature and in contravention of the undertaking we were given on May 30,” Cassim said.
He has given the city manager a five-day ultimatum to respond.
Cassim accused the city of failing to attend to the conciliation as instructed by the SA Local Government Association’s bargaining council.
“We also seek a point of clarity from the judge to give further reasons as to why the matter was deemed not urgent. Hopefully, this will be outlined at the next court appearance next week,” he said.
Keogh said he could not speak on matters of his employment but he was grateful to his senior colleagues for their support.
Keogh made an acting debut as a surgeon on e.tv’s drama, Imbewu: The Seed.
Keogh’s daughter, Cathryn Stevens, said her father’s patience was wearing thin after his excellent service of 43 years in the force.
Stevens said she was overwhelmed with reaction from Durban residents who offered her father moral support and to contribute towards his legal team.
She said the issue was that her father’s old Durban City’s pension fund stipulated that his contract would be terminated at the age of 63, unlike those who will go at the age of 65 after they joined under the Natal Joint Municipal Pension scheme after eThekwini became a metro in 2000.