CHITUNGWIZA Municipality has approached the High Court seeking an order compelling former town clerk George Makunde to surrender a Toyota Land Cruiser V8 service vehicle allocated to him before termination of his contract.
BY CHARLES LAITON
The local authority, through its acting town clerk Charity Maunga, filed the urgent chamber application on Friday last week and the matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
Maunga said Makunde was employed on a five-year contract running from August 2012 to August 2017, during which time he was allocated an official council vehicle to carry out his duties.
“The respondent (Makunde) was issued with a motor vehicle, being a Land Cruiser V8 registration number ACC 9620, for use in the performance of his duties. He remains in possession of the vehicle despite the termination of his employment,” she said.
“The vehicle belongs to the applicant (Chitungwiza Municipality) and is registered in the applicant’s name as confirmed by the vehicle’s registration book.”
Makunde was subsequently suspended on September 13 this year on allegations of misconduct, but before a disciplinary hearing could be conducted, it also emerged that his contract of employment had expired on August 19, 2017, leading to the withdrawal of the suspension order.
“In a letter dated October 5, 2017, the applicant advised the respondent that his contract had been terminated by effluxion of time, applicant requested the respondent to return the applicant’s property including the motor vehicle,” the acting town clerk said, adding, in a letter dated October 11, 2017, Makunde refused to return the vehicle.
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“The applicant does not have any other remedy at its disposal. The respondent is using the applicant’s vehicle against the applicant’s will and in the process, the vehicle is depreciating in value,” she said.
