Former worker attaches ZBC vehicles, equipment

Harare Bureau
Unfair labour practice has proved costly for the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings after former news anchor Abigail Mvududu attached the company’s 12 vehicles, furniture and broadcast equipment to recover damages to the tune of $180,000.
But the property will remain being used by the national broadcaster after it came up with a payment plan of crediting Mvududu’s bank account with $5,000 every month, failure of which it will be removed and auctioned.

A Sinotruck OB Van, Iveco Radio Uplink, 600 HP desktop computers, 200 HP printers, sets of sofas, cameras, television sets and other equipment was attached.

The vehicles attached are a Toyota Land Cruiser V8, eight Mazda BT50s, a Ford truck and two Rhino Cams.
The property was attached in the presence of ZBC legal manager I Mhlanga.

Mvududu’s contract of employment was unlawfully terminated in 2004 and the court ordered the national broadcaster to pay her the damages.

A dispute over payment of the damages in United States dollars arose, with ZBC arguing that the contract was terminated during the Zimbabwe dollar era and that there was no basis for the conversion.

But the court ruled in favour of Mvududu and ordered ZBC to pay the damage as quantified by the court.
ZBC failed to pay the $180,000, resulting in Mvududu’s lawyer Charles Kwaramba of Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni obtaining a writ of execution.

On July 8, this year, Mvududu attached the property and July 14, was set as the date for removal.
But ZBC pleaded hardship, and wrote to Mvududu’s lawyers begging for stay of removal of the attached property.

ZBC has offered to pay $5,000 monthly to Mvududu, while the property remains on attachment. The lawyers considered the financial challenges ZBC was facing and agreed to the payment plan.

The lawyers insisted that the property may be used, but remained under judicial attachment until payment of the debt in full.
Mvududu was employed by ZBC on November 1, 1996 on a fixed term of contract which expired on August 31, 2007.

Before the expiry of the contract, ZBC terminated the contract under unclear circumstances, resulting in the matter being taken for arbitration.