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Indian-origin boss fires woman for buying Honda car despite low salary: ‘Punished for improving life’
Eza Limelintaka, a cashier in Cape Town, alleged she was fired by her boss after buying a second-hand vehicle.
A 28-year-old cashier in Cape Town alleged that she was fired by her Indian-origin boss after she bought a second-hand Honda car, following months of saving and procuring a loan. Aseza Limelintaka took to social media to claim that Shiraaz Patel fired her after claiming that she could not afford to buy a car at the salary he was paying her.
Limenlintaka worked as a cashier at Shell Garage in Maitland and showed up to work with her second-hand vehicle. Her boss became suspicious, claiming that her salary was too low to afford a car.
She alleged that Patel refused to believe her and demanded access to her bank account to check if she was working somewhere else. "I went through my bank app and showed him. He said I started buying new furniture, now I'm buying a car. He's not comfortable with me being a cashier again," she wrote in a Facebook post.
Accused of stealing
Limelintaka added that Patel even accused her of stealing by warning her that he was investigating whether any money was missing from his business. He gave her an ultimatum, she said, to either work as a petrol pump attendant or resign.
"I refused. I was hired as a cashier and have done nothing wrong," she wrote. "I had hoped the car would help me run a side hustle and keep working. Now it feels like I'm being punished for trying to improve my life."
Speaking to News24 in South Africa, the owner of the garage, Berkley Motor, denied the allegations made by Limelintaka, claiming that she was not fired.
"Nothing was done without consent, and discussions are ongoing. She has left out many facts that were stated. Nobody was accused of anything, and she has not been fired. Now that she has falsely accused the company of improper procedures, due diligence can be followed accordingly," it said.
