A Labour Court judge has slammed former justice minister Penuell Maduna in a landmark ruling in favour of a whistleblower he fired, the Sunday Times reported.
Maduna and current Scorpions boss, Vusi Pikoli, formerly director general in the Department of Justice, were taken to court by the former deputy director general in the department, Mike Tshishonga.
Tshishonga sued after being booted out of his job following his public disclosure of corruption and nepotism within the liquidation industry, as well as Maduna’s insistence on having a friend, Enver Motala, appointed in lucrative cases.
Tshishonga was sidelined over his refusal to appoint Motala, and subsequently made the public disclosures that led to his axing.
However, he successfully took this to court, and although he won, Pikoli refused to reinstate him.
Ruling in favour of Tshishonga, Judge Daya Pillay criticised Maduna and Pikoli for their failure to testify during the case, the Sunday Times said.
Pillay said they were public officials at the time and owed Tshishonga and the public answers to the claims made by Tshishonga.
This is the first-ever case in South African legal history in which a whistleblower has received compensation for exposing corruption.
Pillay ordered the Justice Department to pay Tshishonga 12 months’ salary as well as his legal costs. — Sapa