Phosa v Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality (J14/22) [2025] ZALCJHB 121 (11 March 2025)

30 Reportability

Brief Summary

Labour Law — Application for leave to appeal — Defendant's application for leave to appeal against a judgment of automatic unfair dismissal — Application filed within the prescribed 15-day period but lacking proof of service as required by Rule 67(4) — Failure to file supporting submissions within the stipulated time frame — Application struck from the roll for non-compliance with Labour Court rules.




THE LABOUR COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA , JOHANNESBURG

Not Reportable
Case No . J14/22

In the matter between:
MANDISA PHOSA Plaintiff
and
EKURHULENI METROPOLITAN MUNICIPALITY Defendant
Heard: In Chambers
Delivered: 11 March 2025


JUDGMENT : APPLICATION FOR LEAVE TO APPEAL

MAKHURA , J
[1] On 28 November 2024, this Court handed down judgment in terms of which the
plaintiff’s dismissal was found to be automatically unfair and ordered the defendant to

2

pay her R2 2551 279.92. On 20 December 2024, the defendant filed an application for
leave to appeal against the whole of this judgment and order.

[2] Applications for leave to appeal are brought in terms of rule 67 of the Rules
Regulating the Conduct of the Proceedings of the Labour Court. Rule 67(3) provides
that the application for leave to appeal must be made within 15 days after the date of
judgment.
[3] As indicated, the judgment was handed down on 28 November 2024. A day is
defined as any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, public holiday or any day within 16
December and 15 January, both days inclusive.
1 The application was filed on 20
December 2024, and was therefore filed within the 15 days ’ period.

[4] There is however no proof that the application was served in accordance with
Rule 67(4) , which requires serv ice on the secretary to the judge from whom leave to
appeal is sought or on the secretary of any other judge in the seat where the matter was
heard.

[5] Rule 67(5) provides that:
‘Within 10 days of the filing of the application for leave to appeal, the party
seeking leave may file submissions in support of the application, and any party
opposing the application for leave to appeal may file its opposing submissions within 5 days thereafter. ’

[6] Having filed the appli cation for leave to appeal on 20 December 2024, the 10- day
period to file the submissions commenced on 16 January 2025 and expired on 30
January 2025. It is now more than 5 weeks since the expiry of the period, and no
submissions have been filed by the defendant .


1 Rule 1.
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[7] Accordingly, the defendant has failed to comply with rule 67(3) and (4) of th e
rules of this Court . The application falls to be struck from the roll for non- compliance.

[8] In the premises, the following order is made:

Order
1. The application for leave to appeal is struck from the roll for non- compliance with
Rule 67 of the Labour Court rules.

M. Makhura
Judge of the Labour Court of South Africa