News / Local
Civil servant sacked for 'attending gay party', wants job back
25 Sep 2015 at 09:43hrs | Views
A Bulawayo man - Raymond Sibanda who was sacked after he was arrested while allegedly attending a gay party at a city hotel has dragged the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to court.
Sibanda, who was employed as youth officer in Mzilikazi District, has filed an application at the Bulawayo Labour Court challenging his dismissal.
He cited the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao and the CSC as the respondents.
Sibanda, in court papers filed through his lawyer, Emmanuel Mlalazi of Dube-Banda Nzarayapenga and Partners, said he was arrested by police and falsely charged for performing an indecent act in a public place in December 2013.
"On December 21, 2013, I went to Windermere Hotel and coincidentally there was a Gays and Lesbians' Association of Zimbabwe commonly known as GALZ end of year party. Police came and raided the place and arrested people they suspected to be part and parcel of GALZ and I was among the unfortunate ones who were arrested and subsequently taken to Sauerstown Police Station where I paid an admission of guilt fine of $10," said Sibanda.
He said based on the admission of guilt fine, a disciplinary hearing was conducted on March 6, 2014, in which he was accused of misconduct in terms of section 44 (2) (a) of the Civil Service Regulations of 2000 as read with paragraph 7 of the First Schedule, section 2 (putting the name of the Ministry into disrepute).
"The grounds on which the charge was based on was that I engaged in gay practices and performed an indecent act in a public place and paid a deposit fine of admission of guilt. On July 1, 2014, I was discharged from the CSC," said Sibanda.
Sibanda, who was employed as youth officer in Mzilikazi District, has filed an application at the Bulawayo Labour Court challenging his dismissal.
He cited the Minister of Youth, Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Patrick Zhuwao and the CSC as the respondents.
Sibanda, in court papers filed through his lawyer, Emmanuel Mlalazi of Dube-Banda Nzarayapenga and Partners, said he was arrested by police and falsely charged for performing an indecent act in a public place in December 2013.
"On December 21, 2013, I went to Windermere Hotel and coincidentally there was a Gays and Lesbians' Association of Zimbabwe commonly known as GALZ end of year party. Police came and raided the place and arrested people they suspected to be part and parcel of GALZ and I was among the unfortunate ones who were arrested and subsequently taken to Sauerstown Police Station where I paid an admission of guilt fine of $10," said Sibanda.
He said based on the admission of guilt fine, a disciplinary hearing was conducted on March 6, 2014, in which he was accused of misconduct in terms of section 44 (2) (a) of the Civil Service Regulations of 2000 as read with paragraph 7 of the First Schedule, section 2 (putting the name of the Ministry into disrepute).
"The grounds on which the charge was based on was that I engaged in gay practices and performed an indecent act in a public place and paid a deposit fine of admission of guilt. On July 1, 2014, I was discharged from the CSC," said Sibanda.
Source - Chronicle
