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Herald Reporter
Another top official with the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board (TIMB), Ms Tsitsi Murahwa, has been fired after a hearing found her to have violated the organisation’s employment code of conduct.
Ms Murahwa, who was the head of the human capital and administration department, has 21 working days to appeal the determination in the Labour Court.
She was facing three counts of misconduct in line with the TIMB employment code of conduct relating to “any act, conduct or omission inconsistent with the fulfilment of the express or implied conditions of her contract”.
A notification of determination and penalty dated April 14, 2023 seen by The Herald, says Ms Murahwa, as the head of human capital and administration department, was tasked with the duty of trust to carry out her responsibilities in accordance with company policies and procedures and to make sure that other workers do the same.
After the hearing, she was found to have violated the recruitment and selection procedures as well as the procurement procedures.
Reads the notification: “She has no regard for company policies and procedures, and if the head of the HR (human resources) department disregards the system and flouts and violates these policies at will, it undoubtedly sets a bad precedent for the entire company.
“Her conduct exposed the organisation to the risk of non-compliance, which is unacceptable as per Government’s performance-based management. Such a risk has a cascading effect on the performance of the Board against the background of good corporate governance.
“The conduct that she is guilty of attracted the attention of multiple stakeholders and put the Board under the limelight for the wrong reasons. It is a fact that stakeholder confidence and trust is the glue that keeps the tobacco industry intact. Her conduct disregarded this important tenet, thereby prejudicing the Board.”
It was deemed that the continued employment of Ms Murahwa “is clearly no longer tenable given the conduct of the employee as well as the message it would send if it was condoned”.
TIMB regulations entitle her to appeal against the determination and/or penalty to the Labour Court within 21 working days of receiving the notification.
In an interview last night, TIMB acting CEO Mr Emmanuel Matsvaire confirmed the dismissal, adding that disciplinary procedures were underway for other implicated bosses.
He said about four senior officials have so far been sacked while one resigned in the middle of his hearing.
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