TRANSPORT minister Obert Mpofu has been taken to court by another group of workers demanding their unpaid salaries.
BY NQOBILE BHEBHE
Mpofu was last month taken to the Labour Court by about 20 journalists from his defunct Zimbabwe Mail newspaper who are demanding at least $200 000 in outstanding salaries.
In the latest case, 38 security guards took the minister’s Moya Security company to court over its failure to honour an arbitrator’s ruling compelling it to pay off their salary arrears.
Moya Security was recently ordered to pay workers outstanding salaries in four-monthly installments with effect from May 30.
However, workers on July 3 lodged a Labour Court application indicating the firm had failed to honour the ruling.
According to court papers seen by Southern Eye, workers said they were owed salaries by Moya Security from April 2014.
The workers said they had gone for six months without pay with some being forced to resign due to non-payment.
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“Applicants claim that they can no longer meet their economic needs due to lack of salaries,” part of the application reads.
“ It is submitted that the respondent owes: Giva Zimombe $3 343, Edson Msendeke ($1 594,54), Lovemore Moyo ($1 913), Dennis Ndemela ($1 298,93), Clever Munatsi ($1 613,14), Francis Matshazi ($2 987, 99), Njabulo Ndlovu ($1 696 05), King Nkomazana ($3 143), John Moyo ($830), Linos Ndlovu ($799,77), Before Tshuma ($2 076,76), Thomas Moyo ($3 298,20) and Josleen Manwere $1 379,52.
“The applicants’ claims include salary, allowances and leave days,” the application added.
In a ruling dated May 12 2015, the arbitrator ordered “the respondent to pay the outstanding salaries in instalments of four months per each applicant’s claim with effect from 30 May 2015”.
The firm said it had “been facing financial challenges ranging from servicing internal business (Mswelangubo Farm) and high utility bills including statutory obligations”.
Mpofu has in the past been accused by workers at his several businesses of failing to pay salaries on time.
