In the ruling, the judge noted that while there were mistakes in how the case was handled that allowed her appeal to go forward, she couldn’t prove her dismissal was unjust.

The officer, Venus Bianca Jansen, worked in the city’s Safety and Security team. Back in March 2023, she was pulling extra-long hours because of the taxi strike violence. That’s when she lost her gun, 34 bullets, and two magazines. She didn’t report it right away, it took days and she couldn’t say how or where it happened.

After an internal investigation, she was fired in October 2023 for not taking care of city property, delaying the police report, and improper storage of the weapon. Her appeal inside the city didn’t change anything; it was upheld in December.

She tried to fight it at the bargaining council for local government workers, but her claim was filed a few days late. The arbitrator wouldn’t overlook the delay, saying she and her lawyer knew about the deadline and let it slip. So, she took it to the Labour Court for a review.

Things got messy with court paperwork delays in filing records and mix-ups with notices. The city argued her case should be tossed out because of it.

The judge decided to let the review proceed anyway, since the city wasn’t really hurt by the delays. But then, looking at the merits, he wasn’t convinced by her arguments.

Jansen claimed she was so exhausted from the long shifts that it messed with her head and led to the loss. She said expert testimony could back that up.

The court wasn’t buying it. The judge pointed out she never even gave a rough idea of how such a big bunch of items could just vanish. He stressed that losing a police gun is super serious because it could end up in the wrong hands and cause real harm.

In the end, her fatigue excuse didn’t hold water, and the court said she had no shot at winning. The review was dismissed, and her firing stands. No costs were ordered, but it’s the end of the road for this drawn-out battle over misconduct and paperwork snafus.

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The number of stray animals in Chatsworth continues to rise, raising concerns about animal welfare and community safety.

Stray dogs and cats are becoming a growing concern in Chatsworth. Residents express their sadness over the increasing number of stray animals seen on the road.

Joyce Subramoney, a Chatworth resident, said that she often sees cats and kittens that are thin and hungry.

“It’s so sad that there are so many stray animals. I see so many dogs and cats, they’re so thin. Sometimes I leave some bread and milk in a bowl for them to eat, or I buy some canned food. Even with the dogs, you can see their bones; it is way too sad. I always try to either leave food or water. Something needs to be done to help these animals. Where are they supposed to find shelter? Sometimes the weather gets so bad, and sometimes these animals get knocked by cars, nobody worries. My heart breaks,” she said.

Metro Police officer Denzil Pillay, who works in the Animal Nuisance Division, said the unit does not often receive complaints about stray animals.

“Not very often do we receive complaints. However, when we do, we refer the complainant to SPCA so prompt action can be taken,” he said. “This complaint will be investigated by the appropriate officer who deals with such matters and/or seek the assistance of the SPCA.”

Pillay said the main causes behind the growing number of stray animals are “neglect or animals being abandoned by the owners.” He added that “educating the owners through social media” and “public meetings” could help address the problem.

Tanya Fleischer, marketing manager at the Durban and Coast SPCA, said the organisation cannot give specific figures for just the Chatsworth area but confirmed that stray animals face serious risks.

“Stray animals cause a risk as they could harm themselves or others. Car accidents/ being run over, biting people, being abused by people, etc.,” she said.

Fleischer said the SPCA “collects and shelters stray animals” and advised that residents should not engage with stray animals directly. Anyone needing assistance can call the SPCA on 031 579 6501 during office hours or 083 212 6103 after hours.

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