Thanda Royal Zulu Football Club v Lester NO (DA8/14) [2015] ZALAC 7 (21 April 2015) per Sutherland JA.
A soccer coach entered into an employment contract with a Club for one year. The Club ended the contract after three months without following any procedure. The Club also failed to provide any valid or fair reason for ending the agreement. An arbiter awarded compensation equal to the balance of the fixed-term contract. On review the Labour Court upheld the award. In disallowing the club’s appeal the Labour Appeal Court confirmed that the coach was an employee and had been summarily and unfairly dismissed and that the compensation was just and fair. The Club’s attempt to dispute the jurisdiction of the CCMA also failed as there was no agreement that such disputes should be dealt with by any other body.