The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) is sailing through turbulent waters as the relationship between management, board chairman and workers have hit an all time low, the Zim Morning Post has learnt.
This publication understands that the ZIMRA Commissioner-General Faith Mazani has embarked on a witch-hunt crusade where she has ordered the Human Resources personnel not to renew contracts for senior managers deemed to be aligned to outgoing Commissioner-General Gershem Pasi.
“The CG (Mazani) is pushing out all senior managers who have strong ties with Pasi(Gershem) and more than 40 senior managers in the Taxes department have been given three months notices. The managers at the Customs department are also facing the chop and about 25 will go.
“Mazani has gone as far as sending some security details from the Central Intelligence Office to the offices of senior managers to serve them with notices of termination of contracts ” revealed our source.
Zim Morning Post understands that in the Greater Harare area Taxes department, at least six managers are facing the boot.
These are Harare regional manager Christopher Zifudzi, Martin Muponda ( Head Audits), John Chishakwa (Head TRM), Felix Chipanga (Regional HR Manager), Gamuchirai Makangudze (Regional Manager Environs) and Innocent Chikuni (Regional accountant).
The axe also targets senior managers in other regions outside Greater Harare.
In a massive violation of labour law, Zimra is operating without a workers committee following the resignation of all members in protest and solidarity with a colleague who was treated unfairly.
Information hand show that on March 18 the staff and board members had a meeting at Kurima House and it was chaired by industrialist Callisto Jokonya and the minutes reflects that Jokonya acknowledged rampant corruption within the organisation.
“During the meeting the board chair touched on several issues but what torched a storm is when he said the employees will not receive any salary adjustments until they prove to him that corruption within the organisation has ended.
“He emphasized on the massive corruption within ZIMRA and he then opened the floor for questions and one staffer was asked to write a report for asking an improper question.That is when all the workers committee members resigned in solidarity.
“How can you be asked to write a report for asking a question in a democratic country.This is throwing democracy through the window. The board chair is also in the habit of threatening employees using his political muscle. At one time he had a public spat on social media with a staffer although he later apologised,” added our source.
Jokonya absolved himself from any developments concerning employees’ contracts referring this reporter to Mazani.
“I am not involved in matters to with contracts ,which senior manager has had a contract not renewed?May you please call the commisioner-general,” he said.
He also said he was not aware of the resignation of workers committee members.
Zimra Commissioner-General Mazani’s mobile phone went unanswered on Tuesday after relentless efforts to make contact with her for a comment.
In 2018, Zimra claimed it had investigated a massive 46 cases of corruption, 11 of which were referred for prosecution and one was finalised at the courts.
It further claimed that $120 million was recovered through its anti-corruption drive following tip-offs from the public.
On its official website, Zimra blows its own trumpet and claims that they have high levels of corruption management.
A document compiled by the institution’s Loss Control and Intergrity manager Munyaradzi Ushamba titled ‘Management of Corruption’ reads:
“The Loss Control Division tracks trends in levels of corruption within ZIMRA. The review considers levels of actual corruption by tracking cases of corruption reported and investigated on ZIMRA staff. The Authority also tracks the corruption perception index. This index shows how the public perceive the corruption levels within the Authority.”
