Zimbabwean Lecturer Sues South African Employer Over Alleged Wage Theft
A Zimbabwean lecturer based in South Africa is suing his employer for allegedly underpaying him for the past six years.
Nhlanhla Moses Ncube, originally from Nkayi in Matabeleland North, currently works as a lecturer in the community education and training sector under the Department of Higher Education and Training in South Africa.
In an interview with Southern Eye, Ncube confirmed that his labour dispute is now in court. He said:
I am currently underpaid as I am being paid for diploma-level expertise despite having acquired two bachelor’s degrees. I am still struggling to get my money.
In South Africa, you can take the employer to court and possibly win the case.
I am currently taking my employer to court over unpaid monies that the employer owes me.
I am using the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit which I acquired through the asylum seeker permit.
It was easy to get it because it was a politically negotiated settlement.
The court case is currently pending, awaiting a scheduled hearing.
Ncube, who was a teacher at a secondary school in Zimbabwe, left the country in 2007 at the height of the hyperinflation crisis. He said:
Working and living conditions in Zimbabwe were far below reasonable expectations.
The environment was parallel to forced labour because we were not allowed to protest against exploitation by the employer. Protesting against slave wages was treated as a crime.
We experienced hell but abandoning my job in Zimbabwe was not easy due to the patriotism I have towards my community.
The lowest salary scale for educators in South Africa is R154,671 per year, while the highest salary is R1.209 million.
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