Chamisa party's ex-workers eye MDC's govt grant

THE Nelson Chamisa-led MDC has been taken to the High Court by five former employees have approached the court seeking an order to garnish the political party's grant from the Finance ministry in a bid to recover their terminal benefits and salary arrears amounting to US$222 436.

The former workers, namely Tafadzwa Chakanyuka, Aleck Tabe, Geraldine Sibanda, Wilson Box and Lawrence Paganga, recently filed the court application citing Finance minister Mthuli Ncube and the MDC as respondents.

In their application, the ex-workers said they obtained a court order sometime in 2015 against the MDC and filed writs of execution against its movable and immovable properties, but later failed to get the specific details in order to instruct the sheriff to attach the properties, hence they are now seeking a garnishee order against the party's grant from the Finance ministry.

"In the event that the applicants (ex-employees) find movable or immovable property belonging to the second respondent (MDC-T), the amounts realised from the said property or properties may not be sufficient to cover the debt for all applicants. Furthermore, applicants will be put out of pocket in trying to raise money to pay the sheriff's costs thereto," they said through their lawyers.

"On April 26, 2019, the second respondent's legal representatives, wrote a letter indicating the second respondent's intention to pay the applicants from their government grant to be disbursed in terms of the Political Parties Finance Act as soon as it is availed to the second respondent."

The former employees further indicated that on June 24, 2019 their lawyers wrote to the MDC's legal practitioners requesting for payment of the owed monies, but in response they were told that the party was yet to receive its grant.

"To secure payment of the said money to the applicants, the applicants have, therefore, approached this honourable court seeking a garnishee order against the second respondent's bank account and EcoCash merchant account or any other account to which the second respondent's funds are disbursed," they said.

On June 25, 2019, MDC lawyers Lawman Chimuriwo Attorneys indicated to the former employees' lawyers that their client was yet to receive its grant.

"We refer to your letter dated January 24, 2019 and we wish to advise that we have referred it to the MDC treasurer-general. Please take note, however, that although the allocation under the Political Parties Finance Act has been gazetted, our client informs us that they have not yet received the money," the MDC lawyer said.

The matter is pending.