Upenyu Chaota
MASVINGO – A special council meeting which sat as an appeals committee on July 28, 2016 resolved to dismiss two council Stores workers on charges of breaching Section 5.5.2 of the City of Masvingo Code of Conduct.
They were found to have breached the code of conduct which prohibits “Habitual/ substantial unsatisfactory performance.”
Helper Ncube, a Stores Controller in the Stores Section of the Treasury Department and Allen Pisirayi, a buyer in the same department, were first charged by the Head of Department, Thandiwe Dube, on May 16, 2016.
Ncube was charged of neglecting his duty of supervising Pisirayi who allegedly breached council procurement procedures by issuing a verbal instruction to Errant Management Pvt Ltd and Praymost Pvt Ltd to provide services to council.
However the two appealed their dismissal with the Manpower Appeals Committee, chaired by Councillor Godfrey Kurauone of ward 4.
The appeals committee, sitting on June 27, 2016 controversially reversed the dismissal and substituted it of final written warning valid for 12 months.
Dube then appealed against the decision of the committee citing various inconsistences leading to the convening of a Special Council Meeting sitting as the appeals committee.
The Special Council Committee overruled the decision of the Manpower Appeals Committee and resolved to uphold the duo’s dismissal from council.
City of Masvingo mayor, Hubert Fidze confirmed attending the Special Council Committee meeting but said the dismissal of the two was a collective council resolution.
“The special council meeting overruled the decision by the manpower committee of cautioning the two for 12 months and resolved to dismiss them. The decision was made by the council and no one can challenge it,” said Fidze.
Ward 10 councillor, Lovemore Mufamba said there was no need to caution them since it was proven beyond reasonable doubt that they had breached the Code of Conduct.
“These are the same people who are behind the diesel scandal which happened a month ago. The council did a good job because we have to adhere to the principles. I know there may be other councillors who may have disagreed with the decision but the council ruled to fire them, so it stands. When it comes to these matters, we have to put politics aside and deal with the problem,” said Mufamba.news
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