TROUBLED Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) reportedly paid more than $20 000 to a Harare lawyer, Wellington Pasipanodya, after the latter presided over the airline’s disciplinary hearings involving five suspended executives last month.
By Paidamoyo Muzulu Senior Reporter
Pasipanodya is a partner at Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners.
The ousted AirZim board, led by MetBank chief executive officer Ozias Bvute, engaged Pasipanodya to conduct disciplinary hearings for suspended CEO Innocent Mavhunga, company secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi, finance director Nicholas Mujeri, finance manager Patience Tichagwa and human resources manager Oswald Madziva.
The five were suspended after being fingered in a number of allegations included unprocedurally contracting Navistar Insurance to insure the airline’s fleet. They were also accused of improperly procuring spare parts for the fleet.
Although both Pasipanodya and AirZim spokesperson Shingai Taruvinga could not be reached for comment yesterday, a partner at the law firm, Obert Mawadze, confirmed that the money was directly paid to Pasipanodya and not the law firm.
“Pasipanodya was appointed to preside at the hearings in his personal capacity as a labour arbitrator and therefore all the monies accrued to him and were paid to him directly,” Mawadze said.
“I am not aware how much he received, but I can assure you that the amounts he received were in line with the statutes on arbitration,” he added.
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Senior lawyers, according to the Law Society of Zimbabwe fees schedule, can charge up to $350 per hour for services rendered. Taking into consideration such a fee, Pasipanodya might have grossed more since the hearings lasted up to 60 hours combined.
Out of the five cases, Pasipanodya only finalised hearings into Pfumbidzayi’s case, but he is still to deliver the verdict.
He did not complete the hearing on Mavhunga after the suspended chief executive and his lawyers walked out of the hearing saying they had not been furnished with all the papers and objection to Pasipanodya as presiding officer. Hearings on Mujeri, Tichagwa and Madziva are still to be done.
