Former PSA president denies harassment accusations

Union's onslaught has caused irreparable harm - Mulaudzi

Public Servants Association (PSA) says it now has to request security whenever it holds meetings because of its former president Lufuno Mulaudzi whom they have accused of harassment.

The trade union's general manager Reuben Maleka said they were forced to get a protection order against Mulaudzi, who he said harassed board members and delegates at the union's meeting in September last year. 

The protection order was granted in February after Mulaudzi failed to appear in court. However, last week, the Pretoria magistrate's court set it aside after it was found that Mulaudzi's conduct did not amount to harassment.

The union, which has about 235,000 members said Mulaudzi tendered his resignation from the union on March 7 2023. 

However, on September 18, the same year he attended a meeting flanked by armed bodyguards. 

"His demeanor was confrontational with the intent to disrupt and intimidate the PSA board and the delegates in attendance. [His] behaviour was extreme and by arriving with armed guards had placed PSA board and delegates lives at risk," read the protection order granted by the court.

"He intended to be disruptive and to intimidate those in attendance. By unlawfully attending the plenary session with armed guards he intended to victimise and intimate."

His demeanor was confrontational with the intent to disrupt and intimidate the PSA board and the delegates in attendance.Protection order 

However, last week the Pretoria magistrate's court found that Mulaudzi's conduct during the meeting did not amount to harassment.

The court found that no evidence was provided to it that Mulaudzi continued to harass Maleka or any members of the PSA.

"Certain submissions were made about defamatory remarks yet no additional affidavits to corroborate the allegations. If Mulaudzi threatened and continued [to harass] Maleka and any other delegate then it would have been prudent for an application to be brought to court on an individual basis, if on behalf of the PSA then the necessary authorisation by the members of the PSA as well as its directors."

It also said that Maleka should have been within his rights to bring the application in his personal capacity.

"The court could also not find that Mulaudzi's conduct can be described as harassment... there is simply not enough evidence to support that."

Speaking to Sowetan on Thursday, Maleka said the withdrawal of the protection order judgment "meant nothing", adding that should Mulaudzi disrupt their meetings in the future, they would have him arrested.

"He behaved like a criminal last year and intruded on our meeting with four criminals armed. That we cannot take away. It is a criminal way of trying to be relevant.

"If he repeats the same conduct then we will call the police and have him arrested. We already have the security and police around [during their meetings] so whoever tried to come and [disrupt meetings], the police will come and deal with them. We started requesting security after he came with bodyguards. We don't know what he wants, he is not a member of the PSA, and he resigned from the PSA," Maleka said.

However, Mulaudzi told the Sowetan that his bodyguards were not carrying weapons that were visible to anyone. 

He said he was forced to sign a resignation letter by the board after he informed them that he was leaving public service in March 2023. 

"During the September meeting, I wanted to address the delegates to inform them about how I was forced to leave the PSA. If there was any harassment, members of the PSA should have all opened a case. Maleka did that to fight his battles.

"Maleka and PSA onslaught on me has caused irreparable harm to my professional reputation and it has also hurt me emotionally," Mulaudzi said.