Former Harare treasurer sues council over unpaid pension

Former City of Harare treasurer, Misheck Mubvumbi, has approached the High Court seeking an order to compel his ex-employer to pay him pension benefits amounting to over $300 000.

The ex-council boss issued summons against the Local Authorities Pension Fund (LAPF) and City of Harare on February 15 this year and the council is yet to respond to the litigation.

In his declaration, Mubvumbi said he worked for over 33 years before being retired by the City of Harare on June 30, 2014 together with more than 1 300 other employees.

But despite having contributed to a pension fund administered by the council, he is yet to receive his dues.

"During the subsistence of the employer-employee relationship between the plaintiff (Mubvumbi) and the second defendant (City of Harare), which was for a period of over 33
years, the plaintiff contributed to a pension fund administered by the defendant," he said.

"The plaintiff was among more than 1 300 employees who were retired by the second defendant on June 30, 2014. Being a contributor to the pension fund administered by the first defendant, the plaintiff is entitled to one third commutation or lump sum payment of pension benefits in the sum of $333 343,61."

In addition to the lump sum payment, Mubvumbi said he is also entitled to a lifetime monthly pension payment of $5 747 calculated from July 1, 2014 to December 2018, adding that
at some point in time, the City of Harare advised him it had engaged LAPF to expedite the processing of his pension benefits.

"The defendant has not made any payment towards the monthly pension that the plaintiff is entitled to. As at December 31, 2018, the first defendant (LAPF) owes the plaintiff's
pension arrears in the sum of $310 375," he said.

"Despite numerous demands, the first defendant has failed, refused and or neglected to pay the computed retirement pension benefit to the plaintiff."