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Freedom Mupanedemo, Midlands Bureau
Employees of a Harare-based company contracted by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) Pension Fund to construct their multi-milion dollar complex in Gweru, have downed tools over non-payment of wages.

The complex which will have retail outlets and other businesses, a service station and offices, is about 95 percent complete and was due to be handed over to the Zesa Pension Fund by the contractor, Drawcard Enterprises, (Pvt) Ltd at the end of this month.

The construction is almost complete and workers were making final touches. Work has been put on hold following the strike.The employees who spoke to our Midlands Bureau on condition of anonymity yesterday, said the contractor has not paid them since March this year. “They have been lying to us saying they were yet to be paid by Zesa but we did our own investigations and found that they were paid in full when they won the tender about two years ago. No one has been paid since March with the manager insisting they were yet to get payment from Zesa,” said one of the employees.

The employees said they have been working overtime in a bid to beat the September deadline hoping that the company would pay them on time.

“They keep on changing goalposts and our fear is that if they hand over the building to Zesa before they pay us, we will not get our money,” said another employee.

The site manager, Mr Leonard Mtedzi confirmed that his company owed workers six months’ wages.

He also confirmed that Zesa had paid them in full for the project.