PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has intervened in a Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) employees’ case by ordering their
reinstatement after they were dismissed for being whistleblowers on corruption
that was threatening to ground the power utility.
He made the call at the recent launch of the Tripartite
Negotiating Forum Act to pave way for the establishment of a platform of social
partners — the Government, labour and business — to discuss pertinent issues
affecting the economy.
The eight Zesa workers were victimised for exposing a
corruption saga during the time of former Zesa chief executive officer Engineer
Joshua Chifamba.
The whistleblowers were victimised by management for
fighting corruption linking the management and former Minister of Energy and
Power Development, Samuel Undenge to a public relations project involving Oscar
Pambuka and Psychology Maziwisa.
Some of the issues
raised by the workers include the awarding to Wicknell Chivayo of the Gwanda
solar project without following laid down procurement procedures and payment of
the US$5 million to him without bank guarantees.
The newly appointed Minister of Energy and Power
Development Advocate Fortune Chasi has called on Zesa management to do
everything to ensure that the $5 million advanced to Chivayo’s Intratek
Zimbabwe for the Gwanda Solar Project is recovered.
Among a litany of grievances by the workers included the
refusal by management to honour a 2012 two percent salary increment.
The suspended workers are Florence Taruvinga, Gibson
Mushunje, Admire Mudzonga, Ackim Mzilikazi, Given Dingwiza, Tariro Shumba,
Stephen Moyoweshumba and Joanes Chingoriwo.
Mr Mushunje, who is also Energy Sector Workers’ Union of
Zimbabwe secretary general, hailed President Mnangagwa’s call for their
reinstatement, but says it is seems there is some resistance from Zesa
management.
“The President’s call is a good move for us and even for
the country and our families,” he said.
“But it seems the management is undermining the President’s
proclamation to reinstate the workers. There is some cartel within the power
utility who are allegedly blocking the President’s call.
“We have not yet
received the letters confirming our employment status. Instead we have been
served with provisional court orders barring us as a union from representing
the interest of workers.”
The president of the Energy Sector Workers Union of
Zimbabwe Mr Mudzonga said they were waiting for a confirmation letter from
Zesa.
“We were victimised
for exposing corruption activities at the power utility,” he said. “Currently,
the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Sekai Nzenza is in
Geneva. We are waiting for her to address our issue.”
Efforts to contact Zesa chief executive officer Engineer
Patrick Chivaura were fruitless as he was not answering his phone.
The employees were suspended on 7 March 2018 without pay,
charged with unlawful job action, breaching of the Official Secrets Act and
insubordination.
The first hearing was conducted on the 4th of April 2018
and concluded in June.
Eng Chifamba’s contract was terminated by the board while
on suspension pending investigation into allegations of criminal abuse of
office and suspected irregularities around procurement of key electrical
equipment imported by two Zesa subsidiaries from India.
He was arrested in October last year in connection with
alleged criminal abuse of office in the awarding of a contract involving Zesa
units ZETDC, ZENT and Indian firm, PME, for the supply of transformers and
other equipment worth $35 million.
Youth Against Corruption (Yac) last year petitioned
President Mnangagwa over the plight of the fired workers. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment