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Prof Moyo

Mashudu Netsianda Bulawayo Bureau
A principal lecturer at Hillside Teachers College in Bulawayo who was fired four years ago for allegedly receiving a $200 bribe from two desperate applicants who sought to secure places to train as teachers, has taken Higher and Tertiary Education Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo to court challenging his dismissal.

Maxwell Kumbirai Jahwi, who is the appellant, has filed an appeal at the Bulawayo Labour Court citing Prof Moyo as the respondent.

Jahwi is alleged to have received $40 and R400 from Tinashe Madava in October 2011.

Between November 4 and December 28, 2011, Evidence Zhou deposited $150 into Jahwi’s bank account.

Madava and Zhou had applied for the January 2012 intake to train at Hillside Teachers College and Jahwi had offered to help them secure the places in return for money.

Madava reported Jahwi to the college principal after the deal failed to succeed.

Jahwi was fired after he was found guilty of charges of misconduct (violating provisions of the Public Service Regulation 2000) following a disciplinary hearing.

In his grounds of appeal, Jahwi said the disciplinary authority erred by holding him accountable, arguing that there was no evidence linking him to the offence.

He said the money that exchanged hands was not a bribe, but was held in trust waiting to be deposited with the college’s admissions office.

“I am aggrieved by the penalty prescribed by the board that convened my hearing for misconduct. Although I was not found to have received a bribe, the board nonetheless went ahead and prescribed the ultimate penalty of dismissal. I therefore seek to have the penalty set aside,” argued Jahwi.

Bulawayo Labour Court judge Justice Mercy Moya-Matshanga removed the matter from the roll to allow the Registrar to serve the notice of response to the respondents.