A local non-governmental organisation Tsungirirai Orphanage Centre has reportedly fired its programmes manager on grounds that he participated in the recently held harmonised elections.

The employee David Siyampondo was contesting for a House of Assembly seat in Gokwe on the MDC Alliance ticket.

Tsungirirai Orphan Centre is funded by USAID and Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Zimbabwe (HOSPAZ) and they allegedly dismissed Siyampondo citing possibility of funds being withheld as a result of his running for political office.

The institution’s board chair Wilson Ganyiwa has however denied the allegations arguing that Siyampondo’s contract had expired.

The denial is in contrast with contents in a letter (dated August 31) in our possession authored by HOSPAZ director Eunice Garanganga and addressed to Ganyiwa.

The letter clearly stated that Siyampondo’s participation in politics threatens the funding of the entire consortium.

“It has come to our attention that your program manager Mr David Siyampondo is allegedly actively seeking a political office. We are concerned that the current funding has some restrictions regarding participation of members, partners and employees in overt political participation.

“The implication is that it threatens funding, the project, beneficiaries, all employees of the consortium,” reads part of the letter.

In response to questions from this publication, Ganyiwa poured cold water on the allegations.

“We do not have such a story at our orphanage centre, all I know is that his (Siyampondo)’s contract was not renewed, we did not fire him.

“It is a non-event when he says we are partisan, when we are at an NGO no one comes with politics, no one speaks politics, we did not fire him there is a letter that came from HOSPAZ that we have, David has that letter as well.

“David was never dismissed from work. He has to show you his contract which expired end of September. After going through his contract which expired then we can discuss from an informed position.” he said.

Siyampondo insists that he was served with the HOSPAZ’s letter soon after elections.

“True, l was dismissed at work following my participation in politics. I am a member of the MDC Alliance and l represented the party as the member of parliament for Gokwe Kabuyuni. Soon after the elections l was served with a letter from one of our consortium partners addressed to the Board Chairperson of my organisation.

“The letter defined me as a danger to other employees and hence indirectly recommended my dismissal. My organisation went and heeded their call as they started to conduct secret meetings and agreed to not to renew my contract.

“However l appealed against non-renewal and some Members of the organisation sent in a petition wanting to understand my dismissal but some Board members are avoiding the General Meeting as there are a lot of issues that has happened from the day they dismissed me. One board member wanted to grab the opportunity to dispose some vehicles belonging to the organisation to his brother and benefit from an unfair deal,”lamented Siyampondo.

Former Tsungirirai Orphanage Centre board member Rev Ticharwa Nyamidzi alleged that the current board wanted to get him arrested on spruced up allegations that charges he misused $150 belonging to the organisation because he was standing for justice.

“As a member of Tsungirirai (Orphanage), we have petitioned the board so that we can have an urgent general meeting however the board is refusing to do the AGM. Furthermore they started to threaten members who are signatories to the petition.

“I am reliably informed that they are trying to get me arrested on allegations that I misused $150 which belongs to the organisation and the chairperson of the board refused to sign the letter,” narrated Nyamidzi.

He added:

“The charges were raised because I was against the decision to dismiss the programmes manager. I was called few minutes ago by a reliable source from the board, they are doing this to frustrate my efforts to stand for justice however I will not be intimidated. They are doing this so that we cannot hold an urgent general meeting.”

Tsungirirai Orphanage Centre is a registered Private Voluntary Organisation, it was registered in 1996.

HOSPAZ is a national membership body, registered in Zimbabwe in 1999 as a private voluntary organisation. It has over 120 members and affiliates.