Job losses: ‘President won’t intervene’ President Emmerson Mnangagwa
Vice President Mnangagwa

Vice President Mnangagwa

Nduduzo Tshuma Political Editor
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe will not invoke Presidential powers to stop wholesale job losses triggered by a recent Supreme Court ruling, Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, Mnangagwa, who is also one of the country’s Vice Presidents, said President Mugabe could not intervene as the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Prisca Mupfumira is working on strategies to address the situation.

At least 16,000 workers are estimated to have been left jobless in the first two weeks after employers embraced with speed the Supreme Court judgement allowing companies to terminate workers’ contracts without paying terminal benefits, regardless of their years of service, upon giving three months notice.

VP Mnangagwa, speaking during question time, said it was not necessary for the government to invoke Presidential powers until Mupfumira, mandated to deal with the matter, seeks those powers.

He was responding to MDC-T Mkoba legislator Amos Chibaya who had asked the VP whether the government had any intentions to invoke Presidential powers to avert the decimation of the country’s labour force.

“May I advise the Hon member that the structure of government is such that mandates are given to particular ministers and until the minister who has the mandate to deal with that issue seeks those powers, it’s not necessary for us to intervene.

“I’m aware of what the Minister is doing because that’s not the only avenue available to the Minister to deal with the situation. There are other avenues and legal approaches which can be used which are faster than using Presidential Powers to deal with the issue,” said VP Mnangagwa.

“I’m fortunate that I’m also the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, so I’m fully aware of what the Minister has crafted and what the Minister will soon present as a solution to the challenge.”

VP Mnangagwa, who commended the Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Union (ZFTU) for taking part in a meeting convened on Monday by the government to finalise amendments to the Labour Act, said the government was also studying the court judgement.

The MDC-T aligned Zimbabwe Congress for Trade Unions (ZCTU) snubbed the meeting.

“As a government, we’re now looking at the ruling given by our courts and we need to have a way of looking and interpreting the judgements given by the courts and I’ll take part as a part of the learned family to rectify these anomalies on judgements given,” he said.

Last week, the highest court in the land dealt another blow to workers when it ruled that perks like housing, education and other allowances were not a right to workers.

The court said employers were not obliged to pay the perks unless there was a binding agreement on the parties to that effect.

Meanwhile, VP Mnangagwa dressed down MDC-T Kuwadzana East legislator Nelson Chamisa who wanted him to respond to speculation that the vacant Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services would be merged with the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services.

“We understand that the substantive Minister of Media, Information and Broadcasting Services hasn’t been appointed.

“Is there any indication from government, from a policy point of view, because what we’re picking is that you’re contemplating combining the Ministry of Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services and the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services so that they become one Ministry? Is that a reality or it’s just speculation?”

VP Mnangagwa responded: “I’m only surprised that with the short time that he hasn’t been in Cabinet, he has already lost the etiquette of Cabinet.

“The honourable member knows very well that such matters are the preserve of the Head of State and President and Chairman of Cabinet, not of any other.

“He has the discretion, constitutionally, to decide as to what he does in terms of structuring his government and I’ve no authority to think for him.”

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