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SHABANIE Mine’s wage dispute, which last year saw police shooting two workers during a peaceful demonstration, has taken a new twist following a break-in at the offices of lawyers representing employees in the case.
The SMM Holdings-owned asbestos mine has been struggling to pay its workers for over a year leading to intermittent strikes.
During the break-in a fortnight ago, a file for various cases pitting the beleaguered mine’s workers against management on one hand and the police on the other was burnt and destroyed.
Tichaona Chivasa, the Zvishavane lawyer representing the mine workers, said nothing was stolen and they suspected the only reason for the break-in was to destroy the file.
“The break-in took place on Sunday afternoon and nothing was stolen but one big file with papers for the Shabanie Mine cases was burnt right inside the office,” Chivasa said.
“Other files were scattered all over the office, desks were moved from their usual positions and drawers were thrown all over.
“There are very new computers in the office but they were not stolen, raising the suspicion that there was a deliberate intention to destroy that single file.”
Police spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena confirmed that police received a report on the break-in, which he said resulted in the theft of a jacket and a shirt.
Chivasa said the destroyed file had papers for a criminal case in which the mine is suing 13 employees for public violence.
The charges emanate from an incident where two of the 13 affected workers were shot by police in September during a peaceful protest against eight months of non-payment.
The three were shot as they fled from teargas thrown by the police to disperse more than 2 000 workers who had convened for a meeting with management.
One of the workers, Alluwis Zhou (32) was assaulted with a gun and shot in his left hand and in the left leg.
The other two, Leonard Simbarashe Chinhadada (30) and Taurai Zhou (50), were shot in their legs while fleeing from the police.
“The other papers were for a labour case in which we are challenging unfair dismissals of more than 100 employees, including the three who were shot in September,” Chivasa said.
“We are also trying to recover unpaid salaries for the workers, some of whom were dismissed last month after working but receiving no pay since February last year.”
Chivasa said management at the company did not allow the workers’ legal representatives to the hearings leading to their dismissals.
He added that the three who were shot were dismissed when they returned from 60-days’ sick leave recommended by doctors who treated them.
The incidents around the Shabanie Mine case last year prompted the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions to call for the resignation of the co- Ministers of Home Affairs, Kembo Mohadi (Zanu PF) and Giles Mutsekwa (MDC-T), whom it accused of failing to control the police.
Mutsekwa then expressed concern over the developments and said the ministry was going to spearhead a thorough investigation.
Mohadi last week said the ministry was “not going to divulge the investigation’s findings until they have been presented to cabinet and that is going to happen in due course”.
SMM Holdings administrator, Arafas Gwarazimba was not reachable for comment last week but in the past he has maintained that he would not discuss the affairs of the company in the media.
BY JENNIFER DUBE
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