Zhuwao wins case against farm workers
Saturday, 12 May 2012 19:34
BY NUNURAI JENA
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe’s nephew, Patrick Zhuwao, has won his case against
115 workers at Gwebi Junction Estate near Norton, who last week forced him
to flee his farm using the back exit following a labour dispute.
According to the determination reached yesterday, the workers should resume
work immediately, as their protest was illegal.
Last week, the workers went on strike and demonstrated at his farm, blocking
the exit at the farmhouse, forcing Zhuwao to flee.
Zhuwao, who is MP for Zvimba East, had last week applied to the Chinhoyi
Provincial Labour Office, requesting the strike to be declared illegal.
The law provides that the employees should give 14 days notice of their
intention to strike or demonstrate.
The two parties agreed that work should resume at the farm while payment
modalities were being sorted out at the earliest possible time.
“Although it was agreed by both parties that workers should go back to work,
it is unfortunate that they have not showed up at the workplace today
(yesterday),” said Zhuwao.
But the workers who felt hard-done by the judgment, have vowed not go back
to work unless and until they were given their four months wages in arrears.
“We will not go to work unless we are given our dues. It is very clear that
Zhuwao does not want to pay us. he has been selling cattle on a daily basis,
but he never showed efforts to pay us,” said one worker who requested
anonymity. “There are now only 90 cattle from the 2 000 he had in 2008.
Zhuwao is on hard times.”
Zhuwao was last week held hostage for hours by workers after failing to pay
them their wages.
The workers sang revolutionary songs and beat drums before sealing off the
farmhouse exit, demanding their money.
Sensing danger, a frightened Zhuwao scaled the fence and eventually escaped
using a back exit, much to the chagrin of the irate workers.