Midlands Correspondent
The City of Gweru has suspended four employees who protested against poor working conditions during the burial of a fellow worker who tragically suffocated while clearing a manhole.
The suspended employees are Olivia Masunda, Silas Mutendeudzwa, and two others identified only as Ivony and Ngazimbi. They have been suspended without pay or benefits.
A letter dated November 13, 2024, signed by Gweru City Engineer Masauso Store, confirms the suspensions. The letter alleges that the quartet “insulted and made malicious utterances against the local authority’s management with the intention of inciting violence and causing despondency.”
“This letter serves to inform you that you are hereby suspended from all your duties with effect from 13th November 2024 without pay and benefits,” the letter states.
It cites Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006 Section 4 (a) as the basis for the suspension.
The letter continues,
“The grounds and reasons of your suspension are not limited to; You made several utterances on a WhatsApp group, which referred to and or were directed to your superiors, that is Gweru City Council Management, which were malicious, insulted their person and character with the aim of inciting violence.”
The incident that sparked the protests involved the deaths of Richard Longwe and Mary Svinurai, who suffocated on November 6, 2024, while clearing a manhole without protective clothing and allegedly not following proper procedures.
Zim GBC News©2024