The gravy train
gaidze could be approaching the Labour Court with dirty hands given that he is also accused of having pocketed more than $700 000, in questionable payments he allegedly authorised for himself, during his time as the leader of the Association’s secretariat.
The ZIFA legal advisers made the shock revelations, related to the money which Mashingaidze allegedly overpaid himself, in a memo that was sent to the Association’s acting chief executive Joseph Mamutse yesterday to advise him on the status of the labour dispute between the country’s football governing body and Mashingaidze.
We make reference to the above subject: We advise that we attended conciliation proceedings before a labour officer today at 11am at Makombe Building. The proceedings were attended by our Mr Ndudzo and myself on behalf of the Association and Mr Mashingaidze with his legal practitioner. The Claimant (Mashingaidze), in his submissions, averred that he had a contract of employment with the Association between 11 April 2011 and 1 April 2016. Further it was submitted that claimant’s gross salary in terms of the contract was $4 500as a result he is owed $85 338,81 in outstanding salaries and $ 37 800 in unpaid allowances which include accommodation, transport and tuition. In response our Mr Ndudzo conceded to the existence of a contract of employment, but strongly disputed Mr Mashingaidze’s claim on the basis that there was no proof that he was owed the amount claimed. Moreover it was submitted that he overpaid himself in excess of $700 000 as noted in the SRC Report on the State of Zimbabwean football. In response the claimant disputed the findings of the SRC and alleged that the allegations of overpaying himself $700 000 are trumped up charges with no basis. It was then concluded that there was no possible settlement between parties hence the labour officer issued a Certificate of “No settlement”. The parties agreed the claimant would file his submissions by 10 July 2017, with the Respondent filing its submissions by the 24th of July 2017. ‘’We trust you will find the above to be in order,’’ the lawyers said in their memo.
Mashingaidze’s contract with ZIFA was not renewed in April last year with the Association’s leadership saying they needed a fresh face to lead their secretariat.