THE three Metro cops who were fired by the eThekwini Municipality for allegedly referring to a senior cop as a mlungu are back at work.
The cops won their appeal on Friday and immediately returned to work.
Constables Siyabonga Mzobe, Siphamandla Madida and Mthembeni Mtshali were fired two weeks ago. The municipality’s hearing found that the use of the word was derogatory and the three cops were dismissed.
On Saturday, an excited Mzobe told Daily Sun the appeal panel sat on Friday and found there were loopholes with the hearing process and that it was not fair.
He said the panel recommended that if the municipality still wanted to pursue the case, the process had to start afresh.
Mzobe said the panel found that the witnesses who testified against them were dishonest.
They had apparently made statements saying they had heard the white senior cop call the three cops the “k” word but later changed their statements.
“We are excited by the outcome of the appeal hearing.
“We always knew we were being victimised because we laid charges against the same officer for calling us by the ‘k’ word, but instead of dealing with him we were charged.
“We are happy we are back at work,” said Mzobe.
Metro Police spokesman Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad confirmed the three cops were reinstated on Friday but said they were not off the hook yet.
He said there were processes that would take place which might find them guilty.
