Five years after being suspended from work, 22 civil servants have officially been reinstated to their posts.
They are expected to resume duty immediately, having received their posting letters from the ministry of public service yesterday.
This development comes nearly five years after departments in the ministries of agriculture and information, communications and technology (ICT) were scrapped off by government.
In 2021, the mechanisation department in the ministry of agriculture, as well as the computer services department in the ministry of ICT were dissolved.
The mechanisation section had been responsible for coordinating tractor hire services aimed at providing mechanical power to farmers.
The initiative was intended to be managed by government for a few years before being handed over to farmers to operate as a sustainable, income-generating business.
However, the service is now under the National Maize Corporation (NMC).
Most of the workers from these departments received their terminal benefits, except for 20 employees from the ministry of agriculture and two from the ministry of ICT who remained without resolution.
The National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) sought court intervention, arguing that the dismissal of the workers was unlawful as it had been carried out without proper engagement with the union.
On April 27, 2022, the Industrial Court ruled that government’s conduct in bypassing NAPSAWU and engaging employees directly was unlawful, unfair and in breach of the Recognition Agreement between the parties.
The court directed the ministry of public service to negotiate with the union on the status of the affected employees, which was subsequently done.
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Both parties agreed that the workers be reinstated.
The workers, upon receiving their posting letters yesterday, expressed gratitude to the union, stating that justice had been served.
One employee said although he had previously worked in Ludzeludze, he had now been posted to Siteki, which is closer to his home.
“At least I will now be able to stay at home. My letter states that I will resume duties immediately. We will start receiving salaries next month since we are resuming work late,” he said.
He added that the past five years had been extremely difficult, as he had survived through piece jobs, making it hard to earn a living. He expressed hope that government would pay them back, as they had been permanent and pensionable employees.
Another employee said he was relieved to be reinstated. He explained that after losing his job, he also lost his wife, leaving him to care for his children alone without an income.
“At least I will now be able to take care of my children as I have been reinstated as a permanent and pensionable civil servant,” he said.
NAPSAWU acting General Secretary Msimeto Malindzisa confirmed that the workers would begin work immediately.
He said the letters reassigned them to posts of their choice, noting that many had previously been based in Ludzeludze.
He added that most workers opted to be deployed closer to their homes.
“The workers were previously employed under the ministries of agriculture and ICT, but they will now be deployed to other government ministries. They are no longer returning to their former departments. There were welders and tractor drivers and many were previously placed at NMC,” he said.
He emphasised that all affected workers remained permanent and pensionable employees.
