A routine Labour Court hearing for condonation of late submissions by a dismissed driver this week contained some explosive allegations of fraud and mismanagement at Lociware, a joint venture BEE company set up by Shell and Barloworld to provide high end shuttle services.
Drivers were encouraged to transfer from Avis to Lociware on the understanding that they would receive dividends from the company. Maduna’s court papers claim three other workers were dismissed by Lociware for questioning the company’s lack of dividend payments and refusing to provide financial statements.Maduna’s allegations have not yet been tested in court, and Lociware’s replying affidavit in the case focuses on its opposition to Maduna’s late court filings.The main case will likely be heard next year.
His court papers claim the beneficiaries of the trust that owned Lociware were promised a dividend by 2020, three years after the company started operating.Maduna, who was promoted from driver to health and safety manager in the company, says he was excluded from executive committee meetings after demanding audited financial statements. He then recommended that attorneys be appointed to resolve the outstanding issues with the Lociware Trust, but this was apparently also refused.
This further confirmed “that there was no intention on the part of Lociware to declare any dividends or provide any financial benefits to the beneficiaries”.In March 2021, Maduna was charged with “gross insolence” and “incitement and/or conduct detrimental to the maintenance of good order” for allegedly showing disrespect to the general manager, Gerhard Martin, and inciting fear among employees over imminent job losses.