Sexual harassment accuser axed from her job

The 23-year-old woman who alleged that she had been sexually harassed by Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) and union leader Narius Moloto has been fired from her job.

The woman worked at the Building Construction and Allied Workers’ Union, of which Moloto is general secretary.

Last month City Press reported on the sexual harassment allegations levelled against Moloto and how the woman had opened a case at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration that is under way, including unfair dismissal.

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Moloto had vehemently denied the allegations that he demanded sexual favours from the woman in exchange for a permanent contract, as well as that he had sexually harassed her.

He said his accuser had a personal vendetta against him, had vowed to “destroy” him and was making false allegations because she was bitter about not being chosen to go on a trip to Kenya.

A source close to the matter told City Press this week the woman “was served with a termination letter last Friday after she was called into another disciplinary hearing earlier this month”. At the hearing, said the source, she was charged with “adopting hostile and
uncooperative behaviour at work” and bringing the organisation into disrepute by talking to the media on the internal matters without following the internal process.

She was suspended again on October 3.

City Press has seen the termination letter in which the woman was told her employment had been terminated starting October 12.

“She has mixed feelings about it,” the source said.

“A certain part of her feels relieved that she doesn’t have to go back to the toxic environment but she has responsibilities and now has to go back to job-hunting.

“Yet the man at the centre of the allegations is allowed to continue going to work.”

The union’s administrator, Tumelo Kgole, said this week he would not comment on the woman getting fired, nor would he comment further on details about the allegations, adding that the matter was now with their lawyers.

The union issued a statement last month stating there was no evidence to support the woman’s charges and instead accused the woman of being promiscuous.

The woman refused to comment, but denied she was promiscuous.