The South African Emergency Personnel Union (Saepu) has lashed out at Minister of Mineral Resources Gwede Mantashe for allegedly firing an employee who let an investigator from the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture onto his Eastern Cape property.

Saepu spokesperson Makuwa Kgaladi said the union was deeply disappointed at Mantashe’s “arrogant behaviour towards his worker”.

According to news reports, Mantashe and his wife allegedly fired the employee after the incident. The minister claimed the investigator had lied to the employee to gain access to the property.

The investigator came to inspect security details, including cameras allegedly installed by a Bosasa subsidiary, at the minister’s farm house.

Mantashe has denied he received bribes from Bosasa and even went to the extent of inviting journalists to his house to see for themselves.

The investigator, Patrick Mlambo, reportedly told the commission that he had asked Mantashe not to sack the employee.

The minister said she was not fired, but was forbidden from allowing strangers onto the property in future.

However, Saepu said it was concerned that Mantashe did not follow labour law procedures that provide for fair dismissal before firing the worker.

“As a union, we expect him to be the vanguard of the working class because he is a product of the working class and [he should] defend the Labour Relations Act,” Kgaladi said.

“Mantashe needs to be reminded that firing his worker because she allowed an investigator in won’t prevent him from having to appear before the commission.”

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