"The reinstatement of the dismissed Musina Local Municipality worker, Mr Walter Moraba, serves to send a strong message to senior municipal officials that the civil servants have a right to protest against municipalities who fail to deliver."

The chairperson of the Musina Tax Payers Association, Mr Victor Madzivhandila, was reacting to Moraba's reinstatement on 28 October.

Moraba was dismissed on 12 September, after he had been accused of inciting residents to march in protest against the municipality on 25 April. He was further accused for taking part in a service-delivery protest against the municipality on 2 June.

Moraba agreed to have in fact participated in a service delivery protest and a march against alleged nepotism organised by the Musina Tax Payers Association.

He appealed against the hearing committee's decision and alleged that the plan to dismiss him was orchestrated by angry people "who had their own personal agenda of bringing him down." He had felt that the municipality should reverse its decision.

The appeal chairperson, Mr TG Magabane, stated that the Musina Local Municipality had “other means to discipline the employee than charge the employee” if it were true that Moraba had been absent from work without notice.

“It is my determination that an employee should not be charged for exercising his right to freedom of association,” Magabane stated. “The employment relation should not be used to limit an employee's right to freedom of association.” He then ordered that Moraba be reinstated.

In a reinstatement letter signed by the municipal manager, Mr Moses Matshivha, Moraba was notified to return to his work on 30 October, where he would continue to perform his municipal duties.

Moraba said he was happy with the appeal chairperson's decision. “I knew all along that I was not wrong in exercising my constitutional right to voice my dissatisfaction about issues of service delivery along with other Musina residents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Madzivhandila said the association was not happy with the municipal officials who had ordered Moraba's dismissal. “When the municipality is wrong or practicing nepotism, some top officials will always try to cover up the corruption by silencing those who have voices to speak,” he said. “Taxpayers' money was misused on this case. Now we are going to write the municipality a letter asking to determine how much money was used to pay the presiding officer and lawyer for the municipality (employer) during the disciplinary hearing which saw Moraba being dismissed.”

He added that the association was also saddened by the fact that the municipality was delaying the payment of Moraba's outstanding salary.