She is sitting in jail but Grace Pfumbidzayi has been reinstated as the boss of Air Zimbabwe. The reinstatement of Pfumbidzayi who is currently incarcerated, serving an effective seven year sentence at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, comes after the company rescinded her purported dismissal following an arbitrator’s ruling that it was un-procedural.
The reinstatement however appears merely technical since Pfumbidzayi is in jail serving time for criminal abuse of office in a $10 million insurance scam that rocked the national airline early this year.
Pfumbidzayi has however appealed at the High Court against both conviction and sentence.
The reinstatement was communicated to her in a letter dated August 4 2015 by the company’s acting manager in the airline’s human resources department, identified only as Munkhodya.
Pfumbidzayi’s reinstatement follows her dismissal which she challenged and won at an arbitration hearing which took place when she was already incarcerated.
“We make further reference to the Arbitral Award by T Zimudzana reinstating you to the position of Acting Managing Director,” Munkhodya wrote.
“Whilst Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited does not agree with the conclusion reached by the arbitrator, Air Zimbabwe has taken a decision to reinstate you to your former position as Acting Managing Director.”
He added: “You are hereby supposed to return back to work with immediate effect and we advise accordingly,and look forward to seeing you at work.”
Pfumbidzayi has not turned up for work as she is in prison. Her lawyer Gondai Sithole of Mawire and Associates confirmed the development.
“It’s true that Air Zimbabwe wrote to her reinstating her to her position but now we will be entering into discussion on how we will proceed as it is common cause that currently she is incarcerated,”Sithole said.
He added: “It now depends on her High Court appeal ruling, but for now her reinstatement means she is entitled to all benefits that accrued to her while dismissed as case law is clear that when one is reinstated, it’s assumed they were never dismissed.”
It could not be independently verified how much compensation Pfumbidzayi will receive for the period she was dismissed, but conservative estimates put it at above $100 000.
The reinstatement however appears merely technical since Pfumbidzayi is in jail serving time for criminal abuse of office in a $10 million insurance scam that rocked the national airline early this year.
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| Grace Pfumbidzayi Reinstated As Air Zimbabwe Boss. |
The reinstatement was communicated to her in a letter dated August 4 2015 by the company’s acting manager in the airline’s human resources department, identified only as Munkhodya.
Pfumbidzayi’s reinstatement follows her dismissal which she challenged and won at an arbitration hearing which took place when she was already incarcerated.
“We make further reference to the Arbitral Award by T Zimudzana reinstating you to the position of Acting Managing Director,” Munkhodya wrote.
“Whilst Air Zimbabwe (Pvt) Limited does not agree with the conclusion reached by the arbitrator, Air Zimbabwe has taken a decision to reinstate you to your former position as Acting Managing Director.”
He added: “You are hereby supposed to return back to work with immediate effect and we advise accordingly,and look forward to seeing you at work.”
Pfumbidzayi has not turned up for work as she is in prison. Her lawyer Gondai Sithole of Mawire and Associates confirmed the development.
“It’s true that Air Zimbabwe wrote to her reinstating her to her position but now we will be entering into discussion on how we will proceed as it is common cause that currently she is incarcerated,”Sithole said.
He added: “It now depends on her High Court appeal ruling, but for now her reinstatement means she is entitled to all benefits that accrued to her while dismissed as case law is clear that when one is reinstated, it’s assumed they were never dismissed.”
It could not be independently verified how much compensation Pfumbidzayi will receive for the period she was dismissed, but conservative estimates put it at above $100 000.
