Award-winning Lion King producer Lebo M and his wife, Pretty Samuels have been dragged to the CCMA for money they owe their helper, Lineo, who hails from Lesotho.
Lineo moved with the celebrity couple from their home Athol, north of Jozi to Umhlanga in Durban. She continued to work for them and dabbled between being a helper and performing administrative duties.
She earned R5000 a month when she started working for the couple. A few months later she asked for a raise and she was granted R500 more.

SUSPENDING THE HELPER

But things took a twist when she then got a surprise WhatsApp message from Pretty telling her not to return to work after her weekend off.
"Hi Lineo, I've just tried to call you and your phone is off. I've received calls from an officer regarding investigations they conducting into work permits issued and yours is in that batch of investigations. I was calling to inform you that we need to get to the bottom of this, we will comply with the officer as best as possible and hope you do too. Until then you can't be at our employment until further notice. Keep well," read the message. She then promised to settle her salary in full.
"I'll settle your salary in full end of this month and pay till end of October. Thank you for your services. Someone will contact you to arrange to delivery of your personal belongings that are in our care. Keep well."

DIGGING DEEPER

Lineo says upon getting this message, she asked Pretty for the number that had called her.
"May I kindly have the number that called you so I can get an explanation of the 'investigation' they are talking about because firstly, I don't understand how whoever called knew I'm working for you to have directly called you. Secondly, I wouldn't be able to bank in SA and thirdly, I wouldn't have been able to cross the border," Lineo's message read to Pretty.
Lineo pleaded to have her three months' salary paid, and Pretty agreed to thatPretty has not paid the money promised to her.
That is when Lineo sent Pretty this message: "I'm sorry to bother you but this whole thing doesn't make sense to me at all and I'm going get to the bottom of it by taking it to the CCMA, maybe there I'll be able to get a logical explanation because I don't understand why out of thousands of Basotho working in SA I would be the only one under investigation and I'm not comfortable with anyone bringing my stuff when I'm the one who brought them there. I have things like my laptop there. I'm really sorry but I'm going to do what's best for me."

LEGAL HELP

When Pretty didn't pay her salary as agreed, she then went to the CCMA for legal assistance. When Zimoja called Pretty, she said, she never intended to fire her former helper but when she got a call from investigators inquiring about her work permit, she was taken aback.
" I then told her to attend to the investigators as they were trying to reach her without any luck.My intention was  keep her after sorting out her work permit," she said.
According to Pretty she was willing to pay the cash as per their agreement but when Lineo started harassing them and threatening them, that is when she drew the line.
"She started harassing my husband and sending strangers to call us, " Pretty said adding that she acknowledges the CCMA case.
" I also told CCMA that am willing to comply with them, " she concluded before sending a message to Zimoja saying, "Our legal is dealing with the matter and will respond to you." At the time of publishing, the legal team hadn't responded