Rufaro Marketing suspends CEO

THE Harare City Council (HCC)-owned Rufaro Marketing has suspended its chief executive officer (CEO) Daniel Mutiwadirwa over alleged insubordination. Rufaro Marketing runs all council bars. According to a suspension letter seen by NewsDay Business, Rufaro Marketing board chairperson Obey Shava accused Mutiwadirwa of failing to furnish him with lease agreements of all tenants occupying council bars and other assets.

“This letter serves to inform you that on the basis of the grounds stated below, you are hereby suspended from all your duties as the chief executive officer of Rufaro Marketing (Pvt) Ltd with effect from January 19, 2023 in terms of section 6(1) of Statutory Instrument 15 of 2006 pending further investigations,” the letter read.

The CEO was also accused of failing to heed a directive from the chairperson to convene an extraordinary general meeting.

“On January 13, 2023 the chairman of the Rufaro Marketing board instructed you to issue a notice to all board members convening an extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday, the 18th of January 2023 at 1430 hours. Despite the written instruction you have refused, failed and/ or neglected to convene that meeting,” Shava said in the letter.

“On the same date, 13th January 2023 the chairman also requested you to furnish him with copies of the lease agreements in respect of all the Rufaro Marketing tenants and the contracts of employment in respect of all its employees by the 16th of January 2023.

“Despite that clear and unequivocal instruction, you refused, failed and or neglected to provide the requested documents and information. The abovementioned conduct, while constituting wilful disobedience to a lawful order and an act of insubordination also amounts to conduct inconsistent with the fulfilment of the express or implied conditions of your contract,” the letter added.