Court reinstates ex-Lobels bread foreman

The Labour Court has ordered the reinstatement of Christopher Rufaro Mashaire, a former Electrical Foreman at Lobels Bread, with full salary, benefits, and back pay after ruling that his 2021 dismissal was procedurally unfair.

Mashaire, who had served the bread manufacturing company for more than 17 years, was dismissed after being accused of gross incompetence and neglect of duty following the loss of over 35,000 loaves of bread linked to equipment failures and production stoppages at the Lobels plant.

The company alleged that the operational disruptions - which severely affected production and sales - were the result of Mashaire's failure to maintain critical machinery.

However, after a protracted four-year legal battle, Labour Court Judge Justice Bridget Chivizhe set aside the dismissal, finding that due process had not been followed in handling the disciplinary proceedings.

"Despite the serious allegations, the disciplinary hearing process was flawed and failed to meet the standards of procedural fairness," the court ruled.

Mashaire had initially been suspended without pay during the investigation before being dismissed. His appeal through the formal labour dispute resolution mechanisms culminated in the court ruling, which deemed the dismissal unjustified and ordered Lobels to reinstate him to his former position.

In addition to restoring his employment, the ruling compels Lobels to pay Mashaire all outstanding salary and employment benefits accrued from the date of dismissal in 2021 to the present.

The case has become a landmark example of labour rights protections under Zimbabwean law, reinforcing the requirement for employers to observe procedural fairness and due process in cases of alleged misconduct or operational negligence.

Labour experts say the ruling sends a clear message to companies about the importance of adhering to lawful disciplinary procedures, especially when dealing with long-serving employees and high-stakes operational issues.

The reinstatement also underscores the courts' growing insistence on fair treatment for workers, even in industries under pressure from economic and technical challenges.

Mashaire's victory is likely to embolden other employees facing dismissal under questionable circumstances to seek redress through Zimbabwe's labour courts.