JOHANNESBURG - The Legal Practice Council (LPC) is reviewing a misconduct complaint against Minister Ronald Lamola.
This is in relation to his time at his former firm in 2022.
A group of dismissed workers claim that the Department of International Relations Minister took R71,000 in legal fees and then abandoned their case.
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"It is not an easy matter, and we need to be careful as to how we deal with it," says the LPC's Mpho Malatjie. This is because they do not investigate ministers or judges.
Samy Hlongwane laid the complaint on behalf of a dismissed group of Medupi Power Station workers. He says that between 2015 and 2016 Lamola and his firm were paid to challenge their dismissal at the Labour Court.
Lamola and his legal team failed to appear for court proceedings, thus resulting in the dismissal of their case.
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"We want our money back, our people are dying, we are no longer working, we believe that the LPC can help us," says Hlongwane.
The complainants' lawyer, Lucky Modiba says there are an estimated 127 former employees.
"Whatever they want, we must hear from the respondent himself," says Modiba.
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Lamola has declined to comment and has sent his own lawyers to the LPC on his behalf.
The LPC is reviewing submission and is expected to make a decision on whether to launch a formal disciplinary hearing into the misconduct complaint.