Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) acting chief executive Patrick Mavhura, who last week appeared in court on charges of abuse of office, was yesterday allowed to visit his workplace after the court ruled that preventing him to do so would be tantamount to dismissing him.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
When Mavhura appeared in court last week, while being charged alongside head of finance and administration Benania Shumba, he was ordered as part of his bail conditions, to deposit $1 000 and not to visit his place of work, among other conditions, but Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe granted the application to have his bail condition relaxed so as to enable him to perform his duties.
The ruling by the court followed an application by Mavhura’s lawyer Oliver Mushuma.
Mushuma told the court that according to the labour employee code of conduct, an employee is deemed to have committed serious misconduct if he or she absents himself or herself from work for a period of five days or more without official leave.
Mushuma said Mavhura was arrested at work on Thursday last week and if he did not report for work by yesterday, he would have breached the labour employee code of conduct.
Mushuma argued barring Mavhura from ZBC premises would be tantamount to dismissing or suspending him. Prosecutor Sebastian Mutizirwa opposed the application, arguing Mavhura would tamper with evidence, but Mahwe said the circumstances of the matter warranted that the ZBC boss be allowed to go back to work.
