The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACCacc) has been forced to pay ZW$5 million and six top-of-the-range vehicles to its former managers who were wrongfully fired from the anti-graft body in 2016.
The managers, Edwin Mubataripi (general manager prevention and advocacy), Gibson Mangwiro (chief accountant/finance manager) and Christopher Chisango (general manager finance, administration and human resources) were sacked in 2016 over allegations of corruption.
The trio was accused of underhand dealings involving the purchase of a ZACC property in the capital where the government was allegedly prejudiced of US$435 000.
A former ZACC boss Ngonidzashe Gumbo was arrested over the matter in which he had allegedly connived with the three managers in the transaction.
But Chisango, Mangwiro and Mubataripi approached the court to seek relief over unfair dismissal by ZACC.
After a five-year battle with the commission, the trio won the case and was supposed to be reinstated with salaries and benefits dating back to 2016.
However, the managers walked away. Said one of the former managers:
We were supposed to be reinstated effective July 1, 2021, but we opted to give them three months’ notice and resigned. We were to be paid all the salary arrears for five years, that is between 2016 and 2021, but we resigned effective September 30, 2021.
A source said the managers were awarded two vehicles each; double cabs Toyota Hilux and Mazda BT50. They also received ZW$5 million each.
The commission processed some of the payments to the former managers instead of waiting on the government’s Salary Service Bureau (SSB).
Approached for comment, ZACC spokesperson John Makamure said:
These are internal human resources issues that are being settled in accordance with government rules and regulations and Zacc’s own regulation. Any aggrieved parties fully understand the procedures to be followed.
This is not the first time that Zacc has clashed with workers for unfair dismissals as 19 investigating officers who were suspended over allegations of corruption fought through the courts and some were reinstated while others sought a ZW$1.5 million arbitrary award in 2016.
More: The Independent