The presidency and public works department lost a court bid to stop him from returning to work after failing to overturn a General Public Service Sector Bargaining Council ruling, which ordered that he return to work immediately.
The bargaining council found earlier this year that Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille had unfairly suspended Vukela on July 29 2020, after allegations surfaced of excessive spending on the funerals of struggle stalwart Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, former cabinet minister Zola Skweyiya and former chief of state protocol Billy Modise, at a cost of R76 million to the government.