HARARE – Retrenched Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe employees are languishing in poverty after two years without receiving their exit packages.
A recent application for the finalisation of their outstanding retrenchment packages was postponed to March 18.
According a source, efforts were being made to slow down the case as the file containing the provisions of the retrenchment packages went missing. A total of 1,456 RBZ employees were retrenched in 2011 as the bank had to streamline its fiscal operations.
Webster Ngundu, who chairs the Retrenched RBZ Workers’ Committee, confirmed that the file had gone missing and was reconstructed recently.
RBZ boss, Gideon Gono is also alleged to be in contempt of court as he has failed to honour a court order instructing him to pay school fees for the retrenched employees.
In October last year, Labour Court President, Custom Kachambwa, ordered Gono to pay fees for the retrenched employees’ children. “Our clients have not yet received any money in their accounts,” read a letter from Sinyoro and Partners, legal representatives of the retrenched employees. Gono recently told a local daily that at the moment the bank had no money to pay retrenched workers due to liquidity challenges. – Tarisai Jangara
Political violence perpetrator jailed
HARARE – A Zanu (PF) official, Garikai Nyamakambo, was last week jailed for failing to pay $5, 500 in compensation for breaking the leg of an MDC-T ward councillor, Caleb Marange, in July 2006.
Garikayi, a member of the Zanu (PF) district security department, will be imprisoned until he pays the compensation.
Garikai accused Marange of being an MDC-T supporter at Dombotombo Vegetable Market in Marondera in 2006 and went on to break his left leg in broad daylight.
A police report was made resulting in Garikai’s arrest. He appeared at the Magistrate Courts and was sentenced to one and a half years in prison. He was, however, allegedly released after a few weeks at St. Thomas Prison.
Marange took up the fight for justice through civil proceedings and demanded $5, 500 in compensation.
His compensation claim was upheld by High Court Judge Rita Makarawu in 2010.
Efforts to make Garikai pay the compensation were fruitless as the Deputy Sheriff in Marondera claimed that he could not locate him. This was despite Garikai being employed and reporting for work daily at the local municipality.
Last week Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights officers spotted Garikai at the council offices and tipped police who arrested him.
“I am relieved,” said Marange. “He inflicted permanent damage and Garikai must pay for his wayward behaviour.” MDC-T claims thousands of its supporters and activists were either killed, lost limbs or were displaced since 1999. Marange’s court victory might open the floodgates for other victims of political violence to make claims against perpetrators of violence. – Nelson Sibanda
Councillor in court over dagga
KWEKWE – Ward 3 Councillor, Weston Masiya, has been dragged before the courts facing charges of cultivating dagga.
On February 16, the police reacted to a tip-off from members of the public that the councillor was dealing in drugs. They then allegedly proceeded to his house in Mbizo 6 where they found a metre-long plant of mbanje in his garden.
Masiya is denying the charge. His lawyer said the councillor was not aware that the plant was in his garden and said he did not even smoke the drug.
Masiya is out on bail. If convicted, Masiya will become the second MDC-T councillor at Kwekwe Town House to have a criminal record since previous 2008 elections. – Brenna Matendere
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