If the ruling of a male judge in the Labour Court in Cape Town is upheld, then employers will think twice about disregarding an employee’s complaints of sexual harassment by another employee. This is after the Court ordered an employer to pay damages and compensation of R82 000 because one of its employees was sexually harassed and almost raped by her supervisor.
The court found that the victim, Bongiwe Ntsabo had informed her employer, Real Security, of the harassment. Bgut Real Security did not believe her and did nothing to apprehend the perpetrator. The Court agreed with Ntsabo’s lawyers that this action contravened the Employment Equity Act.
But Ntsabo’s pain is not over yet. Real Security is challenging the judgment. And until this process is complete, Ntsabo cannot get any of the money that she urgently needs for counselling.
“Anyone in uniform makes her sick,” says her lawyer, Nikki Naylor from the Women’s Legal Centre. “She is scared of all security guards and of going