FORMER Gweru town clerk Daniel Matau and the city council have reached an agreement to mutually part ways in a development that will see him walk away with about $400 000 as severance package among other benefits.
BY BRENNA MATENDERE
The development will come as a major blow for the financially hamstrung local authority, while also putting to rest the issue of double salary payments for the post of town clerk.
The city has been paying two salaries for the town clerk position since March after Matau won a High Court appeal to reverse his dismissal.
The council had already hired Elizabeth Gwatipedza for the same post.
City fathers on Friday held a lengthy extraordinary meeting that stretched into the night to finalise the issue after having tasked a five-member ad hoc committee to resolve the matter in seven days.
“We have finalised the issue of two town clerks being paid for the same post. We agreed to terminate Mr Matau’s contract by mutual consent. We have signed a deed of settlement with him and so it’s now a done deal,” mayor Josiah Makombe said.
Though he refused to divulge the package for Matawu, the deed of settlement exclusively obtained by NewsDay, which was signed between council and Matau, represented by lawyer Tonderai Chitere of Chitere and Chidawanyika Legal Partners, showed that Matawu will get about $400 000 in benefits.
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The document indicated that Matau would be paid $99 072 as long service award.
He will also get $27 000 as salary, bonus, and benefits due to him until September 30, 2018, which is the date on which the formal notification of termination of employment was given.
“The employer shall compensate the employee for loss of employment at the rate of 2.6 weeks for every year served by the employee, which amounts to $105 300,” the deed of settlement read.
Matawu will also get $13 500 for the three months’ notice period, from October to December and an equivalent value for 10 780 litres of fuel as compensation for the period he was under suspension.
Council will also pay his medical aid and funeral cover.
“The total amount that is quantifiable in monetary terms going by the above is $390 876,17 … (and) shall accrue interest at the prescribed rate from the date of default on any instalment,” the deed read.
The former town clerk will be allowed to buy the Jeep Cherokee vehicle he has been using for $18 000, which is 40% of the market value of the car that had cost the council $45 000 to buy.
He will also be allowed to buy a residential stand and choose between a commercial or industrial stand at 5% of the cost.
Council will also buy him a computer of his choice and a cellphone.
The method of payment for the severance package will be a first disbursement of $30 000 effective last week then $10 000 monthly, starting at the end of October.
