The former employee who received ZiG2 from Chitungwiza Town Council, which owed him over US$5k, has spoken out and is incensed
Honest Garise was employed by the Chitungwiza Municipality for 14 years before being dismissed on three-month notice in 2015 and later winning the case at the Labour Court
Yesterday, the municipality said it would settle Garise’s salary arrears, taking into consideration the 2019 and 2024 currency conversions:
“You were owed US$5156.95 when your contract with Council was terminated in August 2015. Please be advised that in February 2019, there was a transition from USD to RTGS at a rate of 1:1, which meant that US$5156.95 became RTGS5156.55
“The RTGS 5156.95 was then converted to ZIG on 5 April 2024 at a rate of 1:2498.7242, and it became 2.06 ZIG. Council now owes you ZiG 2.06.”
The former Chitungwiza Municipality spoke to H-Metro and expressed fury over the laughable amount the local authority said it now owed him:
“I left work on August 26, 2015, so this money was my salary arrears, and I would go to the Council requesting my money. Mai Machona would tell me that they had no money until I went there again in October over the same issue. They wanted me to sign a settlement where I was advising them that they still owed me US$5156,95.
“So, instead, they worked with a 1:1 ratio, and I refused to sign until I was told by the Town Clerk to write a letter raising my complaints. They then responded to me with this letter, which had 2,06 ZiG yandakashandira zvikwereti zvavo, paying USD ini ndakupiwa ZiG 2 kutsvinya kwakadaro. I refused to sign the settlement deed on number 5, and the pay was not even coming in time when I was still going to work.
“They told me to go to court, saying they are following Government procedures. I got this letter today (yesterday) and I want my cash and handifunge panomira mushe ikasauya kana KuChipinge ndoenda. Takadzingwa ne three months notice up to now vachiramba nemari.”
Chitungwiza Municipality Public Relations Officer Tafadzwa Kachiko reacted to the uproar online over the injustice:
“We take note of the outcry caused by the recent letter to one of our former employees, and we stand ready to resolve the situation. Any inconveniences caused are sincerely regretted.”
