News / National
Zimra ordered to reinstate fired employee
12 Nov 2012 at 23:57hrs | Views
The Labour Court has ordered the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority to reinstate a revenue specialist it had fired for buying a vehicle in South Africa during the Zimbabwe dollar era.
Andrew Dlomo bought the vehicle using foreign currency at a time when he was earning his salary in local currency.
The vehicle was bought for US$2 000. This exceeded the amount allowed for people crossing the border to South Africa at the time.
Zimra fired Dlomo after a disciplinary hearing on the basis that he had failed to explain how he got the money.
In his defence, Dlomo had claimed that a relative in South Africa gave him the vehicle as a gift.
To prove his case Dlomo produced an affidavit by his cousin supporting his assertion. But the disciplinary committee ruled that the affidavit was not conclusive evidence of the source of the foreign currency.
After his dismissal Dlomo unsuc­cessfully appealed against the disciplinary committee decision before approaching the Labour Court.
Labour Court president Mrs Euna Makamure quashed the disciplinary committee decision. She accepted submissions by Dlomo that Zimra failed to prove a case against him and he ought to have been acquitted.
"There was no proof that Dlomo had a certain amount of the then local currency which was illegally exchanged into foreign currency," she said, ordering Zimra to reinstate Dlomo with full benefits.
Andrew Dlomo bought the vehicle using foreign currency at a time when he was earning his salary in local currency.
The vehicle was bought for US$2 000. This exceeded the amount allowed for people crossing the border to South Africa at the time.
Zimra fired Dlomo after a disciplinary hearing on the basis that he had failed to explain how he got the money.
In his defence, Dlomo had claimed that a relative in South Africa gave him the vehicle as a gift.
To prove his case Dlomo produced an affidavit by his cousin supporting his assertion. But the disciplinary committee ruled that the affidavit was not conclusive evidence of the source of the foreign currency.
After his dismissal Dlomo unsuc­cessfully appealed against the disciplinary committee decision before approaching the Labour Court.
Labour Court president Mrs Euna Makamure quashed the disciplinary committee decision. She accepted submissions by Dlomo that Zimra failed to prove a case against him and he ought to have been acquitted.
"There was no proof that Dlomo had a certain amount of the then local currency which was illegally exchanged into foreign currency," she said, ordering Zimra to reinstate Dlomo with full benefits.
Source - TH
