The Labour Court has ordered Bindura Municipality to pay its former town clerk, Paison Mugogo, a whopping $1 million in salary and allowances arrears.
Labour Court president Betty Chidziva handed down the judgment after the local authority failed to submit opposing papers to the initial draft order presented earlier.
Part of the court order reads: “Respondent being in default despite proper service it is hereby ordered that the respondent pay appellant $786 806 as per draft order. In addition to that respondent is to pay $362 260 to applicant being the salary arrears from the period July 2010 to March 2011.”
Mugogo’s claims came after he was fired in 2008 for alleged incompetence. In July 2010, the Labour Court ordered that he be reinstated without loss of salary and benefits. But council declined to reinstate him and instead employed Amos Masawi as its new town clerk.
Mugogo immediately filed for payment of salaries and allowances for the period he was out of employment – between July 2010 and March this year.
Mugogo’s lawyer, Kudzayi Kadzere, confirmed the development yesterday, saying he was already pressing for execution of the court order.
“An application has been filed at the High Court to register the Labour Court’s judgment for the purposes of executing it. We should be able to instruct the Deputy Sheriff to attach and sell the council’s property once the judgment has been registered as an order from the High Court,” said Kadzere.
“The Labour Court has no deputy sheriff so we have to take the matter to the High Court.”
