Gauteng teacher loses unfair dismissal case after arbitrator finds she was never appointed
A woman who believed she had secured a bricklaying teaching post at a Gauteng special school lost her unfair-dismissal claim after an ELRC arbitrator found that the formal appointment process had not been completed.
A Gauteng woman, N Makobe, has lost her unfair dismissal case after an Education Labour Relations Council arbitrator ruled that she was never appointed to teach bricklaying at Bosele Special School. The dispute arose after Makobe applied for the position and was invited to an interview at the school. After the interview, she was informed she had been successful and asked to start work the following day.
Despite moving her belongings and reporting for duty on March 9, 2026, Makobe was allegedly informed by the principal that she could not be employed due to her lack of a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). The department argued that Makobe was never employed by them, as they did not consider her qualifications sufficient for the position.
The arbitrator, Monde Boyce, found that the document Makobe considered her employment contract was merely a form signed by the school's principal and governing body, not an official appointment document. Boyce concluded that Makobe had not been dismissed and that the ELRC lacked jurisdiction to arbitrate her case.
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