Army General awarded massive GMB exit package as looting continues unabated
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08 November, 2010 08:30:00 Staff Reporter
Harare — Former Grain Marketing Board acting chief executive and operations
director Retired Colonel Samuel Muvuti is entitled to three vehicles and his
gross annual salary for five years, as part of his terminal benefits, an
arbitrator has ruled.
Muvuti’s contract of employment was terminated in August 2007. He was then
arrested on criminal charges for allegedly corruptly issuing GMB fuel to
friends and relatives. However, Muvuti was cleared of the charges of
criminal abuse of duty after a fully contested trial.
The Rtd army officer is still enjoying another exite package from his former
employer, the Zimbabwe National Army who gave him a government house in
Belvedere and a flat in Mabelreign.
Arbitrator Mr Arthur Manase recently ruled that Rtd Col Muvuti was entitled
to his terminal benefits. He ordered GMB to give Rtd Col Muvuti a Toyota
Land Cruiser he was using at the time of his employment, a Mazda 4×4 Eagle
and another vehicle with the same value as the Land Cruiser.
“Claimant is entitled to terminal benefits stipulated in terms of the
operative agreement between the parties and the law. The contract which was
being tacitly renewed and which was terminated at the end of January 2008
was the acting chief executive’s contract,” ruled Mr Manase.
In a quantification award by the same arbitrator, it was stated that Muvuti
was entitled to: Toyota Land Cruiser, Mazda Eagle, Vehicle (same status with
the Land Cruiser), Annual gross salary for five years.
The following benefits covering the five-year period, are payable in
monetary value as gratuity: A board house or housing allowance, Fully paid
medical insurance for children and spouse, Clothing allowance (covering four
suits, four shirts, four neckties, two pairs of shoes), Two business class
return airfares per annum for holiday to a regional destination plus
spending money for 15 days.
Entertainment allowance
Security guard for 12 hours daily
Housemaid and a gardener
Telephone allowance (covering 100 percent of his cellphone bill and 60
percent of landline phone)
Tuition fees and levies for children
Full membership fees for him and spouse to a professional or recreational
club of choice.
However, GMB, through its lawyers have filed an appeal at the Labour Court
against the arbitrator’s decision. Rtd Col Muvuti’s lawyer Mr Blessing Diza
of Musunga and Associates said Muvuti would wait for the appeal outcome
before executing the award.
“We got the award, but we now have to wait for the Labour Court challenge.
“The benefits should be worked out in monetary value, but at the time we
cannot talk about the figures,” said Mr Diza.
Rtd Col Muvuti was appointed operations director for GMB on August 1, 2002
and the contract was valid for five years.
Six months later, Rtd Col Muvuti was appointed acting chief executive
officer, on a contract that was expected to run until February 2008. But the
acting chief executive’s contract ended prematurely after the parastatal
accused him of criminal abuse of duty.