Priestess, Air Force settle case

2008-12-05 16:03

Verashni Pillay

Cape Town - The South African Air Force (SAAF) on Friday reached a settlement with pagan priestess Donna Vos, who took legal action over her unsuccessful application for the position of reserve chaplain.

While Vos claims she was tentatively hired and then "fired" when it emerged she was not Christian, Department of Defence spokesperson Colonel PM Motlhabane said she was never appointed.

She applied for the position at Ysterplaat Air Force base in 2003.

Vos claimed the colonel who interviewed her called Paganism a cult and said he could not "unleash" Vos on people.

The two parties appeared in the Equality Court on Friday, where a settlement was reached, according to Vos.

"We are very happy with the outcome, and their attitude to everything was very amenable," she said of the Air Force, which has conceded to consultation and negotiation around paganism. "There is scope to work together."

She said she would not pursue the case any further.

"I never sought a fiscal settlement, what I was seeking was to be heard," she told News24.

Her lawyer, senior advocate William Thompson, said: " The case has just been postponed sine die, which means it has been postponed indefinitely and if they don't reach an agreement as discussed then the case could continue."

- News24