adminLovemore Zigara Midlands Correspondent
THE Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development has been ordered to reinstate Timothy Murungweni as its provincial development officer for the Midlands after demoting him from the post in 2006.
Murungweni was promoted to the post in January 2006 while he was stationed in Gwanda and was then transferred to the Midlands to assume his new role.
However, barely six months into the new job, he was demoted to the position of district development officer for Shurugwi District.
Delivering judgment, Labour Court president Custom Kachambwa turned down requests for leniency from the Women Affairs Ministry which was represented by Ephraim Mukucha from the Attorney General’s office.
Kachambwa said the ministry’s hands were “too dirty” as a lot of things were done unprocedurally in the case.
Kachambwa said the respondent had admitted that Murungweni had been improperly removed from his post and then requested to have an out of court settlement.
“The court granted the request but the respondent failed to comply with the order which had been issued favourably to it upon its own request,” read part of Kachambwa’s ruling.
Part of the court order which had been granted had ordered that the matter be postponed sine die for an out of court settlement.
“If there is an out of court settlement the respondent shall register the out of court settlement by 20th of June 2014. If there is no out of court settlement the respondent shall register that result by 20th of June 2014,” read the order in part.
Kachambwa then ruled in favour of Murungweni.
Part of the ruling read: “By consent of the parties, the appellant be and is hereby reinstated to the post of Provincial Development Officer with effect from the date of removal from that post. 2. The reinstatement shall be with full salary and benefits. 3. Respondent shall pay costs of the suit.”
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