Waiters fired for eating left overs

The four employees, Sello Tseane, Josthat Gumbo, Mmapula Matamela and Jocinda Moshomane have accused the lodge of firing them for eating leftovers after a conference by government officials.

Officials of the provincial treasury had booked at the lodge for a workshop that day but it appeared many of them did not turn up, leaving excess food at the venue.

But the manager of Moshate Lodge, Amanda Grobler, claims the staff stole the food and she has CCTV footage as evidence.

The footage (Sowetan has seen it) shows the four employees taking excess food from the kitchen.

The video shows the employees helping themselves after the officials had left. But they claim they were given permission to eat the food by the guests.

Grobler has rejected their claims and has laid a charge with the Polokwane police. She says she normally stores leftovers in her refrigerator for future use.

"I still maintain that I did not commit any mistake by dismissing those employees. What they did, by stealing food from the kitchen, was something they knew for a long time that was against the lodge's policy," she says.

One of the employees has confirmed that they had helped themselves to the food "like we normally do".

"She called us to a meeting and told us that we had eaten food that was not meant for us, instead of keeping it in the fridge to be used again," Tseane said.

Saccawu's Emmie Molekoa confirmed the matter had been taken to the CCMA.