LSU, director of physical planning clash over unfair dismissal

Former director of physical planning Howard Bekezela Ndlovu is fighting with his former employers the Lupane State University following his dismissal from work on allegations of absconding.

However, Ndlovu says the whole saga was tribal  in which the Vice Chancellor Pardon Kuipa is currently targeting all the Ndebele staff members frustrating and dismissing them on flimsy allegations.

The developments came after almost one year when the VC last year allegedly clandestinely appointed his daughter  Florence Kuipa, a holder of a Master of Science in Risk Management degree from the University of East London to the position of lecturer ahead of PhD holders who have teaching experience.

Lupane  community and highly placed sources had last year accused the VC of conducting tribal recruitments by replacing most local staff with those he recruited from Chinhoyi  and Chipinge amid revelations on June 3 he clandestinely employed his own under qualified daughter to the position of lecturer ahead of the PhD holders.

Latest reports are that the LSU is rocked by tribalism which emerged after the death of the former Vice Chancellor Mclean Mackson Bhala  in 2014.

Some concerned staff members are already calling for the government to intervene and address escalating tribalism at the higher learning institution.

 Ndlovu is challenging his dismissal through his lawyers  and is represented by Goodluck Katanaire in the matter set to go to the labour court.

On June 11 2021, LSU Registrar Jairos Makunde advised Ndlovu that his contract had been terminated due misconduct.

"You have absented yourself from work and further conducted yourself in a manner that shows that you no longer intend to be bound by your employment contract. In this regard I confirm that having absented yourself from work you were requested by the office of the Registrar to report for work at Main campus in Lupane and you refused indicating that you had resigned," Makunde wrote.

Makunde said this is done while the institution is working out his terminal benefits.

Ndovu had previously been suspended by the university sometime in May for misconduct and the lawyers wrote to the university requesting for further particulars of his case on May 31 2021.

The lawyers also wrote asking for Ndlovu to be allowed to enter his former office to prepare his defence case through accessing the material he wanted.

On May 18 2021, LSU Vice Chancellor Pardon Kuipa  wrote to the lawyers conceding their request.

"On the request for further particulars please note that Ndlovu is not yet charged with the allegations. He will only be charged if he responds to the allegations leveled against him and it is at this point that the university shall finish particulars at request," Kuipa wrote.

LSU spokesperson Zwelithini Dlamini confirmed Ndlovu's dismissal.

He said he was told that Ndlovu had been suspended on account of misconduct that were leveled against him.

"Due to some technicalities the suspension was lifted which then required him to report for duty, but he did not, he refused to take up assignments from his supervisors and I am told that he then repudiated his contract claiming that he had resigned, that is how then his contract got terminated," he said.