Durban — The Public Servants Association (PSA) has welcomed the recent Durban High Court ruling to suspend an eviction notice against an employee of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.
The provincial manager of the union, Mlungisi Ndlovu, said the high court had on August 15 issued a court order to evict an employee – a member of this union – from the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital residence. The worker was supposed to leave no later than October 31, 2023.
The union said the hospital had alleged that the worker did not qualify for housing and was in arrears with payment of the rental amount.
“However, the PSA is aware of other residents who are not paying any rental and who do not qualify for official housing but have been staying for prolonged periods without the department taking any action against them,” said Ndlovu.
Ndlovu said in response to the eviction, the PSA filed an urgent court application on October 30 to challenge the eviction order. The aim was to prevent the enforcement of the eviction order until the application for rescission is heard in February 2024 as per the court order, he said.
“The Department of Health in the province is thus prohibited from forcibly removing the worker from the residence.
“This ruling not only signifies a triumph for one of our own but should also serve as a stark warning to the department, highlighting the imperative nature of consistently respecting the rights of employees residing in state residences,” he said.
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