Interpreters in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court sang protest songs in court corridors on Monday morning, refusing to go to court rooms until management addressed them.
The 35 African language interpreters were protesting against ”an employee who got paid to do nothing”.
”He’s been reporting to work since September last year, but loiters around doing nothing and refusing to do any work,” said National Education, Health, and Allied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) branch secretary Joel Maluleke.
He said the interpreter in question told his colleagues he would only go back to the court room once a complaint he lodged with court management last year was resolved.
”Other interpreters gave management a chance to resolve this matter, but it’s been six months and nothing has been done.
”They see it as unfair for them to be working while this man sits around doing nothing,” Maluleke said.
Proceedings in several court rooms were halted on Monday morning, but prosecutors declined to comment.
One lawyer told Sapa he had been waiting for more than an hour for proceedings to start.
Court manager J Horn was not immediately available for comment.
”He was supposed to address the workers at 8am this morning but we were told he is in Randburg.” — Sapa