D-Day for Pasuwa case Callisto Pasuwa

Petros Kausiyo Deputy Sports Editor
PREMIERSHIP kings Dynamos and their history-making coach Callisto Pasuwa will today know whether they will have to go for arbitration when they appear before a Labour Officer to deliberate on the $22 000 the gaffer is demanding in unpaid salaries and allowances.

Lawyers representing the two parties are expected to appear before a Labour officer in the capital.

Dynamos and Pasuwa’s legal teams were due to appear before a labour officer yesterday but the matter did not take off as scheduled after the DeMbare legal representative, Herbert Mutasa of Gill Godlonton and Gerrans, asked for a postponement of the matter to today as he was also reportedly pencilled in to attend an urgent chamber application at the High Court.

Pasuwa’s lawyer, David Dhumbura of Coghlan, Welsh and Guest, conceded to the postponement but insisted that they would not move their goalposts any further when the parties meet as the case was first deferred on March 3.

Two weeks ago the two parties reached a conciliation after Dynamos asked for more time to put together their argument that the $22 000 that Pasuwa is demanding from the club is indeed reflective of what they believe they owe the coach.

The same Labour Office is also set to hear the case in which Pasuwa’s lieutenant during his time at Dynamos, Philemon Mutyakureva is claiming $4 000 for his outstanding salaries and bonuses. It, however, emerged during yesterday’s brief appearance at the Labour office that Dynamos are yet to table their amended protest over Pasuwa’s claims despite Dhumbura having written to them again last week.

As was the case during the initial hearing, the Dynamos management were represented by their treasurer Webster Marechera while Pasuwa and Mutyakureva accompanied Dhumbura. Dhumbura also indicated that he would have wanted the matter finalised yesterday but remained hopeful that an amicable solution would be found today, “failure which the case would have to go for arbitration’’.

Pasuwa’s lawyer said their patience with Dynamos was wearing thin and added that although they had been willing to negotiate a payment plan with the Harare giants, “the club has not been playing ball’’.

“We wrote to them before today’s hearing but they have still not furnished us with their position and their lawyer (Mutasa) wrote back to say he was still awaiting instructions from his clients,’’ Dhumbura said.

In his letter to Mutasa on March 18 Dhumbura wrote that:

“Since our deliberations at the Labour Offices on 3 March 2015, we have not heard from you. We outlined our client’s demands but you said you needed time to consult your client.

“We write to find out your client’s position in relation to our two clients (Pasuwa and Mutyakureva). Kindly revert to us with your client’s position,’’ wrote Dhumbura.

Dynamos are disputing the figure demanded by Pasuwa, arguing they believe they owe the coach $3 000.

In contesting the figure, the Dynamos management is basing their protest on allegations that Pasuwa is illegally holding onto property, including a Honda CRV vehicle, which they claim belongs to the club.

“As you maybe already be aware, we represent Dynamos Football Club. In respect of your client’s claim, as contained in your letter of 7 January 2015, our client has taken the position that the amount claimed by yours has been set off against his indebtedness to our client as particularised before i.e.

a) $15 000 in respect of the motor vehicle namely Honda CRV Registration Number ABX 7345 which your client has retained and

b) $1 000 in respect of the TV set, DVD player, washing machine, TV stand and codes also retained by your client upon the expiry of his contract

“The balance of $2 954 shall be paid directly to your client in full and final settlement of his claim, we therefore advise accordingly,’’ wrote Mutasa.

Dhumbura, however, strongly protested the Dynamos claim after which Mutasa concurred with the Labour officer’s ruling that the two parties should within the next two weeks establish the whereabouts of the Honda CVR vehicle and the circumstances under which Pasuwa has been in possession of the car over the last three years and the costs he incurred in maintaining it without financial support from Dynamos.

Pasuwa also contends that the TV set, washing machine, DVD player and TV stand are the property of the technical crew that he headed as they had made contributions from their winning bonuses to purchase the equipment.

Meanwhile, a Cameroonian international youth footballer was left behind in Harare by his team following their All-Africa Games qualifier against the Young Warriors, who are coached by Pasuwa, at Rufaro on Sunday.

The Cameroonian footballer’s travel arrangements, from Harare back to Cameroon, were botched-up by his Football Federation in Cameroon.

He has been stranded, since his teammates returned home on Monday, in Harare and is spending most of his time at ZIFA House at 53 Livingstone Avenue in the capital.

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