By Tarisai Machakaire
An inspection -in-loco has been set for February 19, at former President Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law Simbarashe Chikore’s business premises to ascertain the credibility of the Human Resources manager’s testimony during trial yesterday.
Simon Musakasa, Zimbabwe Airways Human Resources manager claimed during Chikore’s trial for unlawfully detaining a female employee that he witnessed what transpired in his boss’s office from his compartment.
Chikore is jointly charged with Simbarashe Mutimbe for denying Bertha Zakeyo exit from Zim Airways premises after she had been fired.
However, Chikore’s lawyer Jonathan Samukange argued there was a wall separating the two offices concluding Musakasa had crafted evidence that he proffered to the court and a request for inspection-in-loco was subsequently granted by magistrate Victoria Mashamba.
Samukange claimed that Musakasa was bitter that Chikore terminated his contract of employment on the day in question and sought to revenge by testifying lies against him.
The court heard Musakasa later sought reprieve at the Labour Court and was reinstated although he now works for another company.
“You come to court, make false allegations against an innocent person? Were you working on the day in question because you seem to have been concentrating on Zakeyo’s movements so much,” Samukange quizzed Musakasa.
Musakasa said he heard Zakeyo screaming in her office on the day in question and later learnt that she had been fired from her job by eavesdropping into a conversation.
He told the court that he later saw Zakeyo being denied exit by Mutimbe through his office window.
Musakasa also testified that Zakeyo’s lawyer later came into the premises and they had lunch with Chikore.
When Zakeyo testified in court Samukange claimed that she stayed on the premises on her own volition after refusing to hand over the company cell phone following the termination of her contract.
“You were totally uncontrollable and hysterical after you were fired. You started screaming and shouting causing a breach of peace to an extent that top officials from a security company and police officers were called in to contain the situation,” Samkange said.
Zakeyo admitted to being hysterical following the termination of her contract, saying she was threatened by the five men sent to escort her out of the premises.
She said she refused to hand over the phone to the men, three of whom refused to identify themselves, as the phone had incriminating evidence against Chikore. DailyNews
