Staff Reporter| The Municipal of Gwanda Workers’ Committee chairman and former member of the Welshman Ncube led MDC who early this year was fired from his work allegedly for disrespecting President Robert Mugabe at a Council workers meeting, has been reinstated at work after joining ZANU PF.
Sipho Ndhlovu who before his dismissal was a member of the MDC national executive committee was dismissed after continuous clashes with Council as workers chairman which body colleagues claim was turned into a political rival by the ZANU PF dominated Council. According to a source within the workers, Council sought reasons to dismiss him from work on several occasions but failed until he was accused for undermining the authority of President Mugabe of which he was eventually dismissed.
Several appeals through the labour courts would not move Council to re-engage Ndlovu. Facing a bleak future without employment Ndlovu is said to have approached then Minister of State Matabeleland South Abednico Ncube who undertook to help Ndlovu get his job back on condition he resigns from the MDC and join ZANU PF.
A few weeks after Ndlovu was paraded at the ZANU PF offices in Gwanda led by Minister Ncube denouncing the MDC and confessing his allegiance to ZANU PF. His move to join ZANU PF shocked many not only within the MDC but within ZANU PF itself where he is reportedly not getting the best reception from members there.
True to his words, Ncube is reported to have swiftly facilitated to have Ndlovu reinstated at the Municipality. Over and above the condition to quit the MDC for his job, Ndlovu was forced to resign from his position as Workers’ Union chairman.
Following his reinstatement, Ndlovu was unavailable to give a comment to the media. An officer at the Council reception however confirmed that Ndlovu was indeed back at work and was only out of office at the time ZimEye.com telephoned him.
ZANU PF loyalist and AAG president Chamu Chiwanza recently made shocking remarks when he told Zimbabwean youths to join ZANU PF in order to get rich. Opposition parties and activists have always come hard on the ruling party for its partisan handling of national opportunities giving ZANU PF supporters priority and social favours all the time.
Workers at the Municipality of Gwanda have expressed disappointment on the conditions given to Ndlovu for his reinstatement with some describing him as a coward and a sale out.