One of Zimbabwe’s leading security firms, Guard Alert Security, has been ordered to pay $56 520 for unlawfully dismissing a regional manager who unearthed a fuel scam involving top management.
A writ of execution against the company’s immovable property dated December 7 2011 has since been issued by the High Court following the registration of the arbitral award as a court order.
The security company was taken to court after unlawfully dismissing the Bindura-based manager, Norbert Tangirai, sometime in 2007, accusing him of directly reporting criminals to police without initially communicating to the company’s national operations manager.
An arbitrator, Rodgers Matsikidze, castigated the manner in which Tangirai was dismissed.
He said: “In fact those who facilitated his dismissal are the ones in this case who should face the axe. It is ironic that the claimant, despite his diligence by setting a trap and catching the thieves, was rewarded by dismissal.”
Tangirai reportedly set traps in 2007 and caught security guards, Corporal Mukutiri, Musekiwa Gusho and another identified only as Mabuwa.
The trio was allegedly siphoning fuel from company cars and pumps which they would allegedly hand over to general manager Leonard Mapito.
Tangirai then reported the matter to the police, but the cases were never pursued as senior Guard Alert officials allegedly interfered with the investigations.
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As a result, Tangirai ended up a victim and was allegedly unlawfully dismissed under unclear circumstances prompting him to seek justice in the courts.
Matsikidze’s judgment read in part: “Even taking a step further by looking at the merits of the case, the claimant in this case is a victim of circumstances. His offence is that he reported thieves to police who seem well-connected to some people at the workplace.” Tangirai was represented by Dumisani Kufaruwenga.
