First Lady Thobeka Madiba-Zuma’s former domestic worker is living an impoverished life, and claims she was allegedly unfairly dumped and dismissed.
Ntombentsha Mavunjana, a mother of two from Lusikisiki, said she discovered that her employer had not been deducting and paying or contributing to the UIF, and her pension.
In her response, Madiba-Zuma, speaking through her attorneys, called Mavunjana’s remarks “spurious” and her claims of maltreatment “patently false”.
Madiba-Zuma’s attorney warned Mavunjana “to desist from making any further inflammatory or false allegations”.
Mavunjana said she had been employed by Madiba-Zuma in Durban as a domestic worker from May 2015 until March 2016, until she and her brother were badly injured in a horrific taxi crash on the R61 in Mbizana, while visiting her sick father in a Lusikisiki hospital.
However, Mavunjana said that when she tried to return to work, Zuma told her she was no longer in her employ.
She said: “The First Lady, when I was working for her she was very good to me. She looked after me and treated me with dignity and respect. Even when I was in hospital she kept phoning me and everything was right.
“Even when my father died. A large contingent of Zuma family members attended the funeral and she contributed towards the funeral.
“I don’t know what happened, because after I was discharged she never communicated with me.
“When I sent her messages, her response was that she did not deal with former employees. I really do not know what might have happened, so I wish I could talk to her.”
She said she had been paid R5000 a month, but did not receive a payslip and did not know if there had been any deductions.
Mavunjana said she went to Durban in 1996 to look for work.
She got employed by a private laundry company where she spent 15 years until 2015 when she was offered work by Zuma, who was a regular and valuable customer of the laundry.
“In 2015, I was approached by the first lady and asked to resign and go and work for her.
“Madam asked me to leave my long-time job and I told her that I cannot just leave my job because I have worked in the company for 15 years , so I will lose a lot if I resign. She promised me a number of things as she was interested in my service. I took a decision to resign and accepted her offer because I thought my life will change for the better,” said Mavunjana.
She said that when she was asked to do laundry at the president’s residences, she thought things would be better.
“'My expectations were that maybe, because I am working for the first lady and the president, I would enjoy all the benefits like provident fund and UIF, so that I can change the life of my family because I am the breadwinner at home. But no, my life is now ruined. It is in tatters,” she said.
She trusted Madiba-Zuma with everything and thought she was deducting and paying UIF for her as her employer.
“But, I was shocked to discover that was not the case.
“This was about wholly trusting a person of authority, especially someone who is an activist on issues of labour and matters affecting women. But I am disappointed and hurt,” said Mavunjana.
Her 77-year-old mother, Masabela Mavunjana said she could not believe her daughter had been treated so poorly as an employee of the state president’s wife.
“This situation is hurting. For 15 years she was without any problems but when she joined the first lady within a year she is dumped. Now that she was injured they have forgotten about her. She cannot access the premises.
“How can a person who is first lady do something like that, dump my injured daughter when she needs her the most.
“I hoped that by now she and the president could have attended to this issue differently.”
Domestic Workers Union in South Africa general secretary Myrtle Vetbooi said it was a concern that domestic workers continued to be exploited in South Africa.
She said it was shocking that there were such allegations against the first lady.
“The problem is domestic workers do not have contracts which means they do not know their rights,” said Vetbooi.
But Labour Department director-general Thembinkosi Mkhaliphi said domestic workers enjoyed the same rights as all other employees.
“The laws that regulate the conditions of the employees apply to domestic workers, such as basic conditions of employment, and hours of work.
“The only difference is that their wages are regulated separately and there is a sector designation that regulates the wages. Employers are expected to register domestic workers with the UIF,” said Mkhaliphi.
Mark Futcher, of Futcher and Poppesqou, said the law firm was acting for the Madiba Family Trust “and are instructed by the First Lady, Thobeka Madiba-Zuma in this matter”.
“Ms Mavunjana has made spurious remarks, inter alia, to Ukhosi FM and seems now further to be approaching the press with regard to her contended claims of maltreatment by the Trust.
“We are instructed that these claims are patently false and that the Trust and in its dealings with Ms Mavunjana has acted both lawfully and ethically.”
He said Madiba-Zuma had “not had a proper opportunity to understand Ms Mavunjana's complaints nor to respond formally or otherwise thereto”.
“Ms Mavunjana is invited to contact our offices with a view to discussing any matters over which she may be aggrieved, but should be warned to desist from making any further inflammatory or false allegations.
“You will note that a copy of this correspondence had been transmitted to Ms Mavunjana’s last known postal address in Lusikisiki.” he said. — lulamilef@
dispatch.co.za
Mrs Zuma’s ex-maid penniless
Ntombentsha Mavunjana, a mother of two from Lusikisiki, said she discovered that her employer had not been deducting and paying or contributing to the UIF, and her pension.
In her response, Madiba-Zuma, speaking through her attorneys, called Mavunjana’s remarks “spurious” and her claims of maltreatment “patently false”.
Madiba-Zuma’s attorney warned Mavunjana “to desist from making any further inflammatory or false allegations”.
Mavunjana said she had been employed by Madiba-Zuma in Durban as a domestic worker from May 2015 until March 2016, until she and her brother were badly injured in a horrific taxi crash on the R61 in Mbizana, while visiting her sick father in a Lusikisiki hospital.
However, Mavunjana said that when she tried to return to work, Zuma told her she was no longer in her employ.
She said: “The First Lady, when I was working for her she was very good to me. She looked after me and treated me with dignity and respect. Even when I was in hospital she kept phoning me and everything was right.
“Even when my father died. A large contingent of Zuma family members attended the funeral and she contributed towards the funeral.
“I don’t know what happened, because after I was discharged she never communicated with me.
“When I sent her messages, her response was that she did not deal with former employees. I really do not know what might have happened, so I wish I could talk to her.”
She said she had been paid R5000 a month, but did not receive a payslip and did not know if there had been any deductions.
Mavunjana said she went to Durban in 1996 to look for work.
She got employed by a private laundry company where she spent 15 years until 2015 when she was offered work by Zuma, who was a regular and valuable customer of the laundry.
“In 2015, I was approached by the first lady and asked to resign and go and work for her.
“Madam asked me to leave my long-time job and I told her that I cannot just leave my job because I have worked in the company for 15 years , so I will lose a lot if I resign. She promised me a number of things as she was interested in my service. I took a decision to resign and accepted her offer because I thought my life will change for the better,” said Mavunjana.
She said that when she was asked to do laundry at the president’s residences, she thought things would be better.
“'My expectations were that maybe, because I am working for the first lady and the president, I would enjoy all the benefits like provident fund and UIF, so that I can change the life of my family because I am the breadwinner at home. But no, my life is now ruined. It is in tatters,” she said.
She trusted Madiba-Zuma with everything and thought she was deducting and paying UIF for her as her employer.
“But, I was shocked to discover that was not the case.
“This was about wholly trusting a person of authority, especially someone who is an activist on issues of labour and matters affecting women. But I am disappointed and hurt,” said Mavunjana.
Her 77-year-old mother, Masabela Mavunjana said she could not believe her daughter had been treated so poorly as an employee of the state president’s wife.
“This situation is hurting. For 15 years she was without any problems but when she joined the first lady within a year she is dumped. Now that she was injured they have forgotten about her. She cannot access the premises.
“How can a person who is first lady do something like that, dump my injured daughter when she needs her the most.
“I hoped that by now she and the president could have attended to this issue differently.”
Domestic Workers Union in South Africa general secretary Myrtle Vetbooi said it was a concern that domestic workers continued to be exploited in South Africa.
She said it was shocking that there were such allegations against the first lady.
“The problem is domestic workers do not have contracts which means they do not know their rights,” said Vetbooi.
But Labour Department director-general Thembinkosi Mkhaliphi said domestic workers enjoyed the same rights as all other employees.
“The laws that regulate the conditions of the employees apply to domestic workers, such as basic conditions of employment, and hours of work.
“The only difference is that their wages are regulated separately and there is a sector designation that regulates the wages. Employers are expected to register domestic workers with the UIF,” said Mkhaliphi.
Mark Futcher, of Futcher and Poppesqou, said the law firm was acting for the Madiba Family Trust “and are instructed by the First Lady, Thobeka Madiba-Zuma in this matter”.
“Ms Mavunjana has made spurious remarks, inter alia, to Ukhosi FM and seems now further to be approaching the press with regard to her contended claims of maltreatment by the Trust.
“We are instructed that these claims are patently false and that the Trust and in its dealings with Ms Mavunjana has acted both lawfully and ethically.”
He said Madiba-Zuma had “not had a proper opportunity to understand Ms Mavunjana's complaints nor to respond formally or otherwise thereto”.
“Ms Mavunjana is invited to contact our offices with a view to discussing any matters over which she may be aggrieved, but should be warned to desist from making any further inflammatory or false allegations.
“You will note that a copy of this correspondence had been transmitted to Ms Mavunjana’s last known postal address in Lusikisiki.” he said. — lulamilef@
dispatch.co.za
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