South Africa Labour Court orders reinstatement of worker fired for tasting popcorn

South Africa’s Labour Court ruled on Oct. 23, 2026, that Ster-Kinekor Theatres unlawfully dismissed Yvonne Mogano in 2023. The court ordered the cinema chain to reinstate Mogano immediately with full back pay. Mogano, a nine-year employee at the Rosebank cinema, was fired after manager Tyran Naicker reported her for tasting popcorn to test salt levels. Under cross-examination, Naicker admitted he had previously instructed Mogano to taste the popcorn to monitor quality following customer complaints. Presiding Judge M.J. Motshekga ruled that testing food quality on managerial instruction did not constitute theft or misconduct.

The ruling establishes that quality-control tasks performed under managerial instruction cannot be classified as theft to justify termination.