Council intensifies bid to fire Ncube

By Daniel Nemukuyu

HARARE City Council has intensified its bid to fire suspended chamber secretary Mrs Josephine Ncube through a High Court application that seeks to quash her challenge against suspension. Council suspended Mrs Ncube in December last year together with three other directors  Dr Prosper Chonzi (health services), Mr Tendai Kwenda (finance) and Mr Cainos Chingombe (human capital) — on allegations of financial abuse.

Their suspension followed a report by a tribunal set up in February last year to investigate council salaries.
Mrs Ncube in May this year filed an application at the High Court seeking to have her suspension nullified.
She also sought an order stopping the disciplinary tribunal from hearing her case on the basis that she was sick and not fit to attend the hearing.

Last week, council filed a counter-application seeking to quash Mrs Ncube’s challenge, arguing that she had failed to prosecute her case within reasonable time.

In the application filed at the High Court on September 4 this year, the local authority wants Mrs Ncube’s challenge filed under case number 4013/18 to be dismissed for want of prosecution.

Council, in its latest application, says the dismissal of Mrs Ncube’s case will pave way for the speedy finalisation of the labour dispute.

“The respondent has not taken any steps whatsoever to finalise the matter,” it said. “The respondent’s behaviour is hardly the conduct of a litigant who has an intention of prosecuting her matter to finality.” The Herald.