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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
BUHERA South lawmaker Cde Joseph Chinotimba’s election as Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions (ZFTU) second vice president yesterday torched a storm with some unionists describing his election as irregular, arguing he was an employer and not a unionist. Cde Chinotimba who was ZFTU president in 2008, was elected as second vice president at the conclusion of the union’s two day congress in Harare on Thursday.

ZFTU secretary general Bernard Dhanda accused the MP of having illegally organised the congress without the ZFTU leadership’s knowledge.

He described the holding of the congress as well as Cde Chinotimba’s election as a nullity as there was a pending court application to bar the legislator from masquerading as a trade unionist.

“As you know, Chinotimba is no longer a trade unionist but is both an employer and lawmaker which makes it illegal for him to participate or hold any office in the ZFTU.

“He goes on to organise it without our knowledge yet there’s a case before the courts which is awaiting finalisation,” said Danda.

Dhanda said the pending High Court case (number HC7832/14) follows an application that was lodged against the lawmaker by the Zimbabwe Urban Councils Workers Union.

“Chinotimba ceased to be the president of this organisation in 2008 when he resigned from the Harare City Council. This congress was illegal and was held without the knowledge of affiliate unions of ZFTU,” added Dhanda.

He said his organisation was going to file an urgent chamber application at the High Court to bar the legislator and his newly-elected team from assuming office.

Cde Chinotimba refuted the allegations saying the event was legal and was attended by over 300 workers.

“These people are crazy. As we speak, I’m the second vice president of that union and they say it’s illegal. I was elected in the presence of the deputy minister of Labour and Social Services (Tongai Muzenda) as well as the registrar of unions,” he said.

He added that Dhanda and his team were the ones who had been ousted from the union and were masquerading as unionists.

“Dhanda was booted out a long time ago; he’s no longer part of ZFTU. The congress is over now and it was attended by 300 delegates and all the media was there to witness my re-election,” said Cde Chinotimba.

He said the latest court action against him follows the dismissal of the application by a lower court and the appeal does not prevent him from involvement in the ZFTU.

ZFTU organising secretary Tawanda Mupeti differed with Cde Chinotimba.

“As the national organising secretary, I only got wind of the congress but was never invited or told about it. What they did was illegal because it’s the duty of the general council to inform all affiliate trade unions and accredit all delegates and this wasn’t done,” said Mupeti.

He said out of the 32 unions affiliated to ZFTU, only four were said to have been invited to the congress.