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NewsDay

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Malema in hot water over staff wages

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JOHANNESBURG — A gardener who works on Sundays for suspended South African African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema claims that he hasn’t been paid for two months and is owed R1 200. Joseph Mabuza contacted the Daily News’ sister paper, The Star — through another one of his employers who he asked for […]

JOHANNESBURG — A gardener who works on Sundays for suspended South African African National Congress Youth League president Julius Malema claims that he hasn’t been paid for two months and is owed R1 200.

Joseph Mabuza contacted the Daily News’ sister paper, The Star — through another one of his employers who he asked for help — complaining Malema had failed to pay him his wages for February and last month.

Mabuza said he had worked for Malema for more than four years.

He had been introduced to the youth leader by an estate agent.

“I worked for Malema when he lived in Wendywood after being introduced to him by the agent, who was responsible for looking for houses for him. I then moved with him when he moved to Sandown, before the house underwent reconstruction,” Mabuza said.

“I was still with him when he moved to Sandton. I always worked on Sundays. I never had a problem of wages with him in the past four years I worked. The trouble started in February and March. He always ignored me when I enquired about my wages.”

He said Malema owed him R1 200, because he was paid R150 a day. Mabuza, who lives in Thembisa and works during the week for another employer, claims he spent R26 on transport every Sunday to travel to work at Malema’s house. “I just wish that Julius pays me. I borrowed money from people for my transport. I also took a lot of things on credit,” he said, publicly pleading with Malema for the money owed to him.

Meanwhile, Malema’s domestic worker, who was employed by him for the past four years, was recently served her notice.

Rebecca Masia, from Orkney near Klerksdorp in North West, said she was informed of her retrenchment on March 30, two minutes after Malema arrived home from the Friday night meeting during which he accused President Jacob Zuma of being a dictator. She said the fiery youth leader just told her her job was over. Masia earned a monthly salary of R2 500 as a live-in domestic worker. Her duty was to clean only. Malema also employed a cook — whose name is known to The Star — at the same time when Masia was employed. Masia is now complaining that Malema has failed to pay her three months’ notice.

“He promised he would make a payment into my account at the end of this month. I will take legal action if he fails to do so.”

Masia confirmed she and Mabuza had worked for Malema over the same period. Malema denied owing his gardener outstanding wages. “He has failed to report for work for a long time and now he accuses me of owing him money. “If I do, he must come and collect his money. I will wait for him,” he said.