The former chief executive officer (CEO) of Telecel Zimbabwe is suing the company for over US$1 million in damages over his dismissal in April.
NewsDay reports Francis Mawindi is demanding compensation or reinstatement, with court papers and sources showing Mawindi had not resigned as first thought.
Mawindi is taking Telecel, Zimbabwe’s second largest mobile operator, to the Ministry of Labour, with a hearing set for Thursday next week.
He headed up Telecel for less than a year, and was believed to be earning more than US$20,000 in salaries, allowances and other benefits. Angeline Vere replaced him.
According to court papers, Mawindi wrote to Telecel demanding redress following his dismissal, but received nothing..
“On March 26, 2013, he got the shock of his life when he was served with a letter summarily and unlawfully terminating his contract of employment after attending a board meeting which, in his own view, later turned out to be a kangaroo court in Cairo, Egypt,” said his lawyers in a letter written to the Provincial labour officer for Harare.
“The aforementioned “bush court” was chaired by the company’s board chairman James Makamba. The summary dismissal was effected by the employer acting through two exotic directors whose names have been furnished to us.
“Alternatively, if the employer is unable to reinstate him, he wants to be paid damages in lieu of reinstatement made up of the full salaries and benefits for the unexpired period of his contract of employment plus full salaries and benefits for an additional three years after its expiry in 2015 plus payment of legal costs that he shall incur in this matter,” the lawyers said.
