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Samantha Chigogo Herald Reporter
Marondera Municipality has lost 14 vehicles to seven former employees, who attached the cars to recover outstanding salaries and benefits amounting to $68 000.

The attached cars include mayor Antony Makwindi’s official vehicle. The town clerk Mr Josiah Musuwo and finance director John Kachingwe also lost their vehicles.

The seven employees Trevor Tiriwepi, Grace Mafusire, Gladys Kamurira, Arnold Chimwanza, Evelyn Chinyamakobvu, Grace Chivandika and Patience Busumani successfully sued the local authority for unlawful dismissal.

The council was ordered to reinstate the seven employees or pay them severance packages. An arbitral award of $68 000 was then awarded to the former employees by an independent arbitrator Mr G Gohodzi.

Council failed to action the award within the stipulated 21 days. A writ of execution was issued on October 19, 2015.

“You are required and directed to attach and take into execution the movable goods of municipality of Marondera, the above mentioned defendant of municipal offices, and of the same cause to be realised the sum of $68 450 together with interest at the rate of nil per centum per annum and the sum of nil for the cost to be taxed and charges of the applicants which it recovered by an arbitral award dated June 19, 2015 registered as an order of this court on the 30th of September 2015 in the above mentioned suit and also all other cost and charges of the said legal practitioners in the said suit to be here after duly taxed according to law, besides all your costs thereby incurred,” reads part of the writ of execution.

The Marondera council had initially failed to honour an agreement it had made with the former employees to make a $5 000 weekly payment starting from July 24, 2015.