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Munyaradzi Musiiwa , Midlands Correspondent
FORMER Gweru Town Clerk, Mr Daniel Matawu, is set to receive a golden handshake of more than $400 000 from his former paymaster as exit package and salary back pay, Sunday News has learnt.
Mr Matawu is set to receive $406 000 in terminal benefits and salary back pay, backdating to 2016 when he was illegally dismissed from work by former Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister, Mr Saviour Kasukuwere.
The local authority gave Mr Matawu a salary back pay of $4 500 per month backdating to 2016 and also gave him the same amount for the months that were left to complete his tenure which was due to expire in 2021. Cumulatively Mr Matawu will get a $406 000 once off payment. He will also get a vehicle, residential and commercial stands as part of the package.
Sunday News is also reliably informed that Mr Matawu has also approached the Labour Court to nullify his salary reduction from $9 000 to $4 500. This means the local authority might have to pay him double the amount they have offered.
Gweru Mayor, Councillor Josiah Makombe, confirmed that Gweru City Council had resolved its long-standing impasse with Mr Matawu and have agreed to buy out his contract and give him an exit package. He said Gweru City Council last week signed a deed of agreement with Mr Matawu’s legal team to part ways amicably.
“I can confirm that we have reached a compromise with Mr Matawu over his package. We had an impasse because Mr Matawu was reinstated by the High Court in March this year after he was dismissed in 2016. We had already engaged a new Town Clerk, Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza so we wanted to give him a package. Last week I felt that the matter had taken too long to be resolved so I gave the council management and a committee which I set a seven day ultimatum to find a lasting solution.
The committee and Mr Matawu who was being represented by his legal team agreed on a package. We are going to buy out his contract which was due to expire in 2021. We will pay his outstanding salaries as well and give him his package,” he said.
Mr Matawu served the local authority for 37 years. Gweru City Council dismissed Mr Matawu after he was found guilty of 15 counts of gross incompetence, inefficiency in the performance of his work, substantial neglect of duty, conduct which is inconsistent with the fulfillment of his job by a tribunal set by the Gweru Commission.
Mr Matawu was facing 29 counts but was exonerated of 14 others by the Board of Inquiry set by the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing to investigate the matter and deliberate on his fate before making recommendations to the Commission.
High Court Judge, Justice Nicholas Mathonsi ruled in March that Mr Matawu be reinstated as Gweru Town Clerk. Justice Mathonsi nullified Mr Matawu’s suspension and his subsequent disciplinary hearing, which resulted in his dismissal, saying the appointment of the tribunal which tried him was illegal.
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