Samwu gunning for Nair again

Pikitup's controversial boss Amanda Nair. File picture: Supplied

Pikitup's controversial boss Amanda Nair. File picture: Supplied

Published Feb 9, 2016

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Johannesburg - Pikitup managing director Amanda Nair must face her day in court.

This is the message the SA Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) gave at a media briefing held on Monday to clarify its protest action last week.

The union said it was working with its lawyers to get the charges of theft of cellphones valued at R33 000 reinstated.

It is also considering reopening the investigation into the alleged irregular granting of a tender worth R263 million to Aqua Transport Plant Hire, a firm implicated in fraud and corruption.

Nair was cleared of all charges after a disciplinary hearing, but Samwu claimed it had gathered more evidence.

In June last year, Nair was arrested for the alleged theft of the company’s cellphones, which were irregularly issued to her and her children. She was arrested along with Donovan Denyssen, who was working “in” the IT department when he allegedly gave the cellphones to Nair and a close relative without following the correct procedures.

The charges were later dropped.

“Amanda cannot be a law unto herself. We know the people who are protecting her and we will expose them as they are also benefiting. We also want to know why she is the darling of politicians at the city (of Joburg). We want to know why the charges were dropped, yet her bail was so serious that it was set at R26 000,” said Samwu regional deputy secretary Paul Tlhabang. He accused Nair of being untouchable and, among other things, hiring her own people and increasing their salaries at her whim.

Vuyani Singonzo, a Samwu regional deputy chairman, questioned why Pikitup was in the process of obtaining an interdict to prevent further strike action.

“There is no strike at Pikitup and there is nothing to interdict. We have made no demands - it was just support. This management is determined to continue running to the courts where there are issues instead of meaningfully engaging with us with the aim of finding solutions.”

On the accusations, Nair said the theft charges had been withdrawn by a prosecutor and not the City of Joburg, the Pikitup board or Pikitup itself.

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