Trymore Tagwirei
Masvingo Magistrate Linnety Tariro Mudzingo has interdicted Masvingo City Council from convening any Board of Inquiry against its Chief Internal Auditor, Docas Makusha (née Moyo), until pending grievance procedures in her case against the municipality are completed.
The ruling comes against the backdrop of allegations that Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa is victimising Makusha (pictured) and other staff he suspects of orchestrating his arrest in a corruption case.
Although he appeared in court multiple times, he was later acquitted for lack of evidence.
Since then, Makusha alleges, senior managers led by Mukaratirwa have been unfairly targeting her through disciplinary actions and discriminatory treatment.
She took the municipality to court, arguing that her suspension from driving council vehicles following a minor June 04, 2025 accident was unjust. She told the court other managers and junior staff involved in accidents were not subjected to similar suspensions.
Represented by lawyer Wellington Muzenda of Muzenda and Chitsama Attorneys, Makusha cites Town Clerk, Chamber Secretary, Acting Director of Engineering Services, Transport Officer, Workshop Foreman, and the Mayor as respondents.
Court papers show the dispute began on June 4, 2025, when Makusha was involved in a minor accident while driving a council vehicle (registration AEX 1184).
The car sustained only a scratch on the front bumper. However, on June 09, 2025, the council convened a Board of Inquiry and suspended her from driving council vehicles.
Makusha argues the suspension was discriminatory, noting that other managers and junior employees involved in similar or worse accidents were allowed to continue driving or had their suspensions lifted promptly.
Her grievances go beyond the accident case. She accuses council management of breaching her employment contract by failing to allocate her a commercial stand in 2022 and an industrial stand in 2024, as stipulated under Section 4(d)(iii) of her contract. Despite repeated follow-ups, the stands were not allocated to her.
The court action also challenges a job evaluation exercise that downgraded her position from Head of Internal Audit (director level) to Audit Manager. She describes the exercise as a technical demotion strategy that violated government guidelines, which classify Heads of Internal Audit at director level.
Furthermore, Makusha accuses Town Clerk Engineer Edward Mukaratirwa of targeting her in retaliation after she exposed irregularities in the procurement of his condition-of-service vehicle.
Mukaratirwa was arrested in 2023 for abuse of authority after ordering council to procure for him a vehicle outside the bracket approved by the Ministry of Local Government.
He appeared in court several times before being acquitted for lack of evidence. Makusha alleges that since then, the Town Clerk has been victimising her and other employees suspected of whistleblowing.
She argues that Mukaratirwa relied on false and malicious reports by a council foreman and upheld the Board of Inquiry’s recommendations without citing supporting regulations—actions she said undermined natural justice.
Makusha, who has served the municipality since January 01, 2010, seeks an order compelling the Masvingo City Council to respect her contractual rights, restore her initial position and appropriate title, and end what she describes as years of unfair treatment.
In a letter submitted to Permanent Secretary John Bhasera, Makusha warns that the independence of auditors at Masvingo City Council had been compromised, with management allegedly attempting to cover up corruption cases and retaliating against auditors linked to exposing graft.
“I write to report the victimisation by my superiors. Council is in a mode to cover up alleged corrupt cases and fire the auditor.
“I humbly request for protection to do my duties independently and free from any threats. Some councillors and senior managers have been suspecting that auditors are the ones who did the whistleblowing hence my victimisation,” reads the letter dated September 27, 2024.
