MARTIN MAWAYA
The biggest gold producer in Masvingo Province, Renco Mine is facing turbulence times as workers have written to the board of directors of the parent company RioZim to investigate the entire management for a litany of charges which are threatening the viability on the entity.
Renco Mine workers have petitioned the RioZim board of directors to investigate the mine’s management, citing a litany of allegations, including theft, mismanagement, and poor decision-making.
The petition, signed by over 715 employees, expresses frustration and loss of trust in the management team, led by the general manager, finance manager, and engineering manager.
“Renco Mine has never experienced this dismal level of management since time immemorial. The leadership of the General Manager, Finance Manager and Engineering Manager is synonymous with serious decline of production and industrial relations.
“As workers we are frustrated and have lost trust to continue working under the direction of this GM and his allies,” wrote the employees to RioZim directors.
The allegations include the unauthorized sale of gold pregnant carbon to artisanal miners, wanton theft, and gross incompetence.
They also accuse the management of disregarding security measures, mismanaging the Admin and Finance Department, and lacking transparency in scrap sales transactions.
“The GM and Finance Manager have a record of running down a mine. The GM and Finance manager left Dalny Mine after running it down. As employees we are not ready to see this Mine closing since it is the only one that we have in Masvingo Province serving areas like Zaka, Bikita, Chivi and Masvingo at large,” added the employees.
The workers, through their union, Zimbabwe Diamond and Allied Minerals Workers Union, have urged the company to suspend the management team pending investigations.
However, RioZim group human resources manager Jasmine Nyanike has stated that the investors are fully behind the Renco mine management and have no intention of replacing them.
“We reiterate that the executive and the board of directors of the RioZim group are in full support of the entire management team at Renco and efforts they are making to resuscitate the operations in a challenging environment after a prolonged strike,” said Nyanike in an internal memo.
The company has also refused to pay salaries for the days employees were on strike, citing section 12A (6)(a) of the labour Act Chapter 28:01.
However, the company has offered to pay 50% of salaries for the illegal strike period as an ex-gratia payment.
Labour court Judge, Justice Godfrey Musariri ruled that the workers must return to work and that no disciplinary actions should be instituted in respect of the unlawful job action.
The judge also directed that RioZim pay its employees’ salaries arrears by December 10, 2024.
