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Munyaradzi Musiiwa, Midlands Correspondent
THE Gweru City Council and its former Town Clerk, Mr Daniel Matawu, are failing to reach a compromise as they have been locked up in unending negotiations.
In March, the High Court overturned the dismissal of Mr Matawu by a caretaker commission, which was tasked to run the affairs of the city.
He had been suspended and was later fired in July 2016 following recommendations by a board of inquiry appointed to probe allegations of gross incompetence and negligence of his duties.
After the High Court ruling, the local authority had resolved not to reinstate Mr Matawu and they have offered him two weeks salary for every year served as his package.
These are the provisions of the infamous Zuva Petroleum judgment of 17 July, 2015, Section 24 of the Finance Act Number 8 of 2015, gave retrospective effect to the Labour Amendment Act, Number 5 of 2015.
The Labour Amendment Act, through Section 12(4a), outlawed arbitrary termination of employment on notice and set the parameters in which such termination should be done.
The new law only allows termination on notice in circumstances where one is employed on a fixed contract basis or has consented to the termination of contract.
Mr Reginald Chidawanyika of Chitere-Chidawanyika Legal Practitioners, who is representing Mr Matawu told Sunday News that the parties were still deadlocked.
“We are still to reach a compromise with council. Negotiations are still going on. We haven’t agreed on anything yet,” he said.
Mr Chidawanyika said the negotiations were still going on to resolve the impasse.
He, however, did not disclose the stage of the negotiations.
According to well-placed sources, Mr Matawu had earlier proposed a $1 million package.
Gweru City Council spokesperson Dr Manford Gambiza’s mobile phone went unanswered when contacted for comment.
However, council officials have been holding marathon meetings with their legal representatives from Tawona and Jaravani Attorneys and Mr Chidawanyika representing Mr Matawu on the way forward.
The local authority is trying to avoid a scenario where Mr Matawu is reinstated because it means they would have lost their jobs and there will be a need to reverse every other appointment made by the Commission during its illegally extended tenure.
Online Reporter