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Prosper Dembedza – Correspondent
Zimbabwe National Road Administration (ZINARA) executives, Adam Zvandasara and Gilfern Moyo, yesterday told the court that they were being victimised for implementing board resolutions and policies that resulted in some employees being transferred from head office.
Zvandasara and Moyo were arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on charges of victimising subordinates and obstructing the course of justice.
They were challenging their placement on remand, saying their actions were aboveboard and in line with labour laws.
The pair produced board resolutions and recommendations from a human resources consultant, recommending a new structure that saw more than 20 employees being transferred or reassigned.
Through their lawyer Mr Oscar Gasva, Zvandasara and Moyo said it was surprising that of the transferred workers, only four who work in the cash office raised allegations of victimisation at ZACC, when in actual fact the exercise was sanctioned by the board.
The duo, through Mr Gasva, submitted that the complainants were now on the run after it emerged that they were being implicated in a US$21 000 fuel levy scandal.
“It is the accused persons who are being victimised for having done their job in terms of the labour law and the policies of Zinara,” said Mr Gasva.
“They are being victimised because the complainants are actually facing fraud cases which are known by the accused persons, therefore, they are trying to silence them.”
Mr Gasva submitted that one of the complainants, Jeremiah Singende, was actually a wanted person at Highlands Police Station after he submitted a fake sick note purportedly from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.
He said two of the complainants were reassigned at the head office in line with the new structure, while the other two were transferred to stations in Harare following recommendations by an internal audit report.
Harare regional magistrate Mr Ngoni Nduna deferred the matter to today for ruling.
According to the State, between 7 and 26 October, 2020, Moyo (administration and human resources director) and Zvandasara (finance director), with the intent to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, transferred and reassigned the workers.
They transferred Munyaradzi Tongoona to Eskbank tollgate and Singende to Skyline tollgate, while reassigning Tonderai Marange to Infralink and Naphtali Tembo to management accounting at head office. It is the State’s case that the transfers were calculated to prejudice the complainants as they had given ZACC information concerning corrupt practices at Zinara.
Netsai Mushayabasa and Audrey Chogumaira appeared for the State.
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