Zimbabwe News Update
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Post ReporterRUSAPE Town Council Engineer, Charles Chindenga, who was suspended by the local authority, facing various allegations of incompetence and insubordination has been cleared of any wrong doing by the disciplinary authority that presided over the hearing.Engineer Chindenga was facing four counts which include starting construction works on his industrial stand without following laid down procedures in the Southern Africa Transport and Communication Commission (SATCC), insulting council chairperson, Mr Lovemore Chifomboti, his vice, Ms Shylett Mutisi and town secretary, Mr Solomon Gabaza.The local authority also accused him of failing to construct a drain in Vengere suburb and a sewer line at Makoni Country Club leading to raw water flowing into Rusape Dam.The Disciplinary Authority which consisted of Norton Town Secretary, Mr Kizito Muhomba and Kariba Town Clerk, Mr Richard Kamhoti found Engineer Chindenga not guilty on all the charges levelled against him, saying the council failed to provide evidence to back its allegations.It ordered that Engineer Chindenga be reinstated to his position with full benefits.However, when he reported for work recently, Engineer Chindenga was instructed by municipal police officers not to enter the council premises, citing instructions from their superiors.Council is in the process of appealing the outcome.The disciplinary committee in its ruling said it found it rare that councillors who are not direct supervisors of the engineer would testify against him during the hearing.It also noted that the town secretary who is the direct supervisor of the engineer did not testify during the hearing.It also threw away the evidence of Mr Godfrey Mufuranhewe, the chairperson of Rusape Concerned Residents Trust.“Our decision is that we find the employee not guilty of all the charges that were preferred against him, and ordinarily, he should be reinstated without loss of benefit,” ruled the disciplinary authority.It, however, went on to recommend the mutual separation between council and Engineer Chindenga after noting the acrimonious relationship between the two parties.“For the few days in the few months that we have been here, and with what we witnessed, the acrimonious relationship between the employer and the employee did not escape us.
It was quite evident. It is very rare that you find three councillors, who are basically the employer, testifying against an employee where he or she is not the Town Secretary, and these councilors include the chairperson and vice-chairperson of council.“We are not saying they should not testify, we are saying even if justified, this is a signal that the relationship between employer and employee has broken down. The employee also gave witness to unprovable allegations of chairperson of council having a relationship with the vice-chairperson. Of, course without establishing the nature of the relationship, this allegation turns to be inappropriate.
It is coming from an employee against a section of his employers.“Because of the relationship that is existing between the employer and employee, our recommendation is that the best option would be to negotiate for a mutual separation of the two,” recommended the disciplinary authority.Leave a ReplyCancel reply
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