adminFarirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
Chitungwiza Municipality has reinstated three workers it suspended for exposing that senior managers were allegedly operating secret bank accounts and a parallel payroll to award themselves hefty salaries. The three Chitungwiza Municipality Workers’ Union representatives – Mr Ephraim Katsina, Mr Tapson Bamusi, and Mr Ngonidzashe Murau – were saved when Parliament issued Certificates of Privilege nullifying their suspensions.
Chitungwiza Town Clerk Mr George Makunde last week wrote to the three asking them to return to work while council consulted with its lawyers on the effect of the Certificates of Privilege.
“We take what the Parliament said that the Certificates of Privilege nullify the suspension of the three workers and all proceedings pending against them are deemed to be stayed with immediate effect. Failure to comply with this will amount to a charge of contempt of Parliament.
“Whilst the employer is still checking the legality of the above paragraph feel free to act on the contents of the aforesaid paragraph.”
In their submissions to the Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare in March, the workers alleged that council could have been swindled of US$10 million after management failed to account for revenue collected in January and February 2013.
The workers alleged that the managers were abusing Public Service Investment Programme accounts with FBC Bank, Kingdom Bank and MetBank to make secret payments to themselves.
The municipality has over 1 600 employees who have gone for over a year without being paid.
The workers have since asked Government to institute a forensic audit into the council’s affairs.
Online Reporter