- Vusimusi Hlope has remained unemployed for three years after an unfair dismissal ruling.
- Labour Court again postponed the contempt case against Integrated Business Supply directors,
- LHR states that continued defiance undermines the enforcement of workers’ rights and the authority of the courts.
The Labour Court has once again postponed the long-running contempt of court case brought by Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) and the Casual Workers Advice Office against the directors of Integrated Business Supply.
This postponement deepens frustration over what advocates describe as tactics in defying justice. The case began in September 2021, when Vusimusi Hlope was dismissed after raising complaints about his wages.
In October 2022, the Metal and Engineering Industries Bargaining Council found the dismissal unfair and ordered his reinstatement. Despite the ruling, Hlope remains unemployed three years later because the company refused to comply.
Directors Evan and Michael Linley and Karien Stassen were found guilty of contempt in November 2023 and fined R150 000, suspended for 30 days on condition they reinstate Hlope. They neither reinstated him nor paid the fine, and have now defied the court for two years.
Court grants another reprieve
When LHR requested the directors’ incarceration in August 2025 to enforce compliance, the Labour Court instructed them to appear on 11 November 2025 and to submit affidavits explaining why they had not complied with the November 2023 order. The directors failed to do so.
With new legal representation, they requested more time to raise settlement funds. The court granted another postponement, giving them until 10 March 2026 to pay.
“We had hoped that Tuesday’s hearing would be the end of the matter with justice for Hlope,” said Buhle Sibiya, Legal Counsellor at LHR. “Instead, we are facing yet another delay in a matter that should have been resolved years ago.”
Justice delayed is justice denied
Sibiya emphasised the wider implications. “While we recognise the authority of the court, the continued postponement of this matter, despite the directors failing to obey previous orders, is deeply disheartening. Justice for Hlope has yet again been delayed.”
“By refusing to reinstate Hlope, the directors have dug a financial hole for themselves,” LHR added. “They now owe back pay from the date of reinstatement plus interest.”
The real cost of defiance
LHR also warned that the continued defiance raises serious concerns about the challenges in enforcing workers’ rights. “Court orders are not suggestions,” Sibiya said.
“They are the cornerstone of justice. If employers can ignore them without consequence, the rights of workers everywhere are at risk.”
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“Justice for Hlope has yet again been delayed. The continued postponement, despite clear court orders, is deeply disheartening.” — Buhle Sibiya, LHR
