Demining firm disowns injured soldier

THE Development Initiative (TDI) has denied claims by a former Zimbabwe National Army member and expert in explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), who said the firm dumped him after he got injured at work sometime in 2016.

TDI is an international company undertaking humanitarian explosive ordinance disposal (EOD) - demining.

Senzeni Sibanda, who currently stays in Beitbridge, over the weekend claimed he was injured on duty while conducting demining activities under TDI and accused the company of neglecting him soon after, without compensation.

But responding to the allegations through an email, TDI spokesperson Stephen Saffin said Sibanda was their erstwhile contractor, but most of his claims were false.

"Regrettably, this is not the first itineration of these claims. He (Sibanda) has made a number of similar allegations in the past, and (TDI) is presently suing him in the High Court of Zimbabwe for defamation, as he has alleged in other forums that I personally received the compensation due to him and neglected to pay," Saffin wrote in an email.

"…The crux of the case is that Sibanda was, indeed, deployed in Mali on contract with the Bermuda-based entity, TDI Ltd. He was injured in a road traffic accident, where he sustained a broken leg."

Saffin said in terms of their insurance cover, they provide full medical evacuation and care for all of their contractors, and as a result of this, Sibanda was stabilised in Mali.

He said he was then moved by air ambulance to the Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was operated on.

"As this was over the Christmas period, the company flew his wife to Nairobi and accommodated her there, in order that Sibanda would not be alone at that time of the year. Following his stabilisation, he was then flown home to Zimbabwe, where he came under the care of Zimbabwe's leading orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Bowers, before completing a course of physiotherapy and being declared fit to return to work," Saffin said.

Saffin attached a letter from Bowers dated August 24, 2017, clarifying that Sibanda had not suffered any lasting ill effect and was able to return to normal duties.

He said if Sibanda had lost his leg as a result of the accident, he absolutely would have been entitled to a claim for compensation.

Saffin also denied that Sibanda was ever chased from their offices.

"Of greater concern to me is the allegation that the High Court ruled in his favour in the action he brought against us, but he could not proceed as he was in the wrong court. This is manifestly untrue and the reality is that he failed to appear for the hearing of our special plea, which was upheld," Saffin said.

"Any basic knowledge of court processes would confirm to you that the learned Judge will not make a judgment on the substantive element of the matter before him when dealing with an exception or special plea, and as such that element of the report is manifestly wrong."

But at the weekend, Sibanda had said he was covered by the insurance company based in the United Kingdom and when he got injured, he was transferred from Mali to Kenya and then to Zimbabwe, where he was treated through NSSA. He insisted that he was employed by TDI and not by Bermuda.