The National Employment Council (NEC) for the Tourism Industry has ordered Wild Africa Trust (WAT), operating as Hippo Pools Wilderness Camp in Mashonaland Central province, to pay over $5 000 to two dismissed workers, as the impasse over the management of animals in the area between the camp and the community continues.
BY CHARLES LAITON
According to the tribunal papers, Happymore Garura and Tendai Nyarugwe were employed on six weeks’ continuous contracts for a period of more than eight years and during their tenure of employment, they were paid light allowances instead of transport, housing and cooking allowances, as provided for in Statutory Instrument 146 of 2013.
They were later fired in December 2014, and were asked to sign a deed of settlement, waiving their rights to getting allowances. When the matter was brought before the tribunal, WAT questioned the jurisdiction of the forum, but its submissions were dismissed and a finding was made in favour of the employees.
“This tribunal has jurisdiction to determine this matter . . . the applicants are entitled to the allowances. Each applicant is to receive $2 263,72. Payment is to be spread over three monthly equal instalments effective from May 31, 2016,” the designated agent ruled.
Two months ago, WAT former executive director, Ian Jarvis also approached an arbitrator seeking to retain control of the project after he was kicked out of his position without benefits.
In his statement of claim presented before an arbitrator, Anna Mapanzure, Jarvis said his services at the camp were illegally terminated sometime in April last year after he was subsequently evicted from his house at the camp.
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Meanwhile, the Sunungukai Wildlife Park management committee, which is in charge of the community-based projects in the area, are now up in arms with WAT over the intended translocation of the animals that have been the source of their livelihoods.
Business and camp manager, Cheryl Ives reportedly wrote to the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority seeking permission to relocate animals from Sunungukai Wildlife Park to Umfurudzi Park, a move which the community said would stop tourists from visiting the area.
A committee member, Nyarugwe said: “WAT has already pulled down the game fence and removed solar panels, tanks, beds and everything from the Sunungukai lodge. Since Jarvis was removed from the area, everything has been destroyed. The community here wants Jarvis to return because he was running the area professionally.
“If they do not want him to return, at least they should find someone to come and work with the community and help the projects that have been destroyed by the current management.”
