By Austin Karonga
The jubilant mood in the 2018 Castle Lager title hopefuls CAPS United — could be soured by the club’s failure to pay an ex-employee who has won the right to attach the club’s official team bus — as the last ditch attempt to have the 2016 champions settle outstanding $10 000 labour damages.
Joyce Kapota was awarded $10 460 by the Labour Court for unlawful dismissal from her job as the club’s communications officer two years ago but the Green Machine have failed to settle.
Kapota served as CAPS United’s communications officer until her dismissal in February 2016 which she felt was unlawful and sought justice at the courts which was duly delivered.
Justice Fatima Maxwell ruled in her favour and ordered CAPS United to pay the damages within 30 days from the date of ruling.
Kapota was not given terminal benefits upon the termination of her contract which she said was unlawful.
Her lawyers yesterday told the Daily News they were attaching the team bus as well as applying for a garnishee order against the club.
Earlier in the week, Kapota had attached plastic chairs, computers and printers which, however, fell way short of satisfying the debt.
“Yes, the attached property is not sufficient to realise the full amount owed. The team is technically insolvent.
“We are therefore proceeding to seek an order to garnishee their bank account. We are filing a chamber application early next week.
“If nothing is realised from the garnishee process we will consider liquidating CAPS United,” said Kapota’s lawyer, Wellington Magaya.
Magaya suggested that the CAPS United senior figures were acting as if the bus did not belong to the club yet Kapota was aware it belonged to the club.
Attempts to attach the bus were frustrated on Thursday when the driver sped off after getting wind of the Sheriff’s impending arrival at the training ground.
“The level of unprofessionalism is shocking and if the state of affairs at CAPS is what is obtaining at the rest of the teams, then there’s no future for football in Zimbabwe.
“They want to argue that the bus belongs to Nyaradzo but my client is aware that it now belongs to CAPS United. We shall proceed nonetheless because a vehicle registration book in not proof of ownership.
“They have been hiding it but we will get an update from the Sheriff later today (yesterday) ,” said Magaya.
Efforts to get a comment from CAPS United were fruitless.
The club’s chief executive Cuthbert Chitima referred all correspondence to their lawyer TK Hove whose mobile phone was not reachable by the time of going to press.
CAPS United are in a buoyant mood after making exciting signings in the current pre-season — thanks largely to the ‘stability’ brought by a sponsorship package from a local mobile cellular company.
The Green Machine has had financial troubles in the last couple of seasons.
Management and shareholders battled to avert implosion at the famous Harare club whose financial fortunes coincided with the economic crisis of the hyper inflationary era leading to the 2008 elections.
CAPS United alongside defending champions — FC Platinum, last year’s runners-up Dynamos, Ngezi Platinum and Highlanders — have assembled decent teams capable of winning the title.
The Green Machine begin its quest for the title with a tricky home game against returning Harare City which has snapped How Mine’s premiership franchise. Daily News