The National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC), has said Panganayi Chiota, Erya Mashamba and Brian Samaringa are not NOIC employees. Chiota recently filed a report with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) as Zimbabwe Allied and Petroleum Workers Union (ZIPAWU) secretary-general contending that NOIC chief executive officer (CEO) Wilfred Matukeni, mishandled funds worth US$143 000 which were meant for outstanding payments of 42 workers, who were later fired when they demanded accountability. In a statement seen by Pindula News, NOIC said the assertions made by Chiota and colleagues were false. Reads the statement:
It has come to our attention that there are some persons who are masquerading as employees of the National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd /Petrozim Line (Pvt) Ltd (NOIC/PZL), when they are not. The purpose of this notice is to set the record straight.
On 14 March 2022 a total of four (4) “members” of the Zimbabwe Petroleum and Allied Workers Union (ZIPAWU) held a Press Conference at which certain assertions were made, mostly falsely and detrimental to the image of NOIC/PZL.
The allegation that NOIC/PZL is failing to pay workers their dues such as overtime, are not only false but very mischievous. We wish to note that the Board and the Executive has a cordial relationship with its employees. The Company has consistently and regularly remunerated its employees in line with contractual obligations and existing policies. Notably, of the four (4) persons who held the Press Conference, three (3) of them are no longer in the employ of NOIC/F’71, two of them having been dismissed way before the ZIPAWU was even formed.
Eriya Mashamba was dismissed from employment on 5 November 2015 for breaching loading procedures, leading to loss of fuel through theft. Following his dismissal he appealed through the established legal procedures right up to the Labour Court which dismissed his appeal. He did not pursue the matter any further.
Panganayi Chiota was employed by PZL as a Pipeline Controller. He was dismissed from employment on 15 December 2015, for failing to follow procedures resulting in contamination of fuel. He appealed against the dismissal right up to the Labour Court and his appeal was dismissed.
Brian Samaringa was dismissed from employment on 22 June 2020 for breaching established loading procedures with the intention of colluding with truck drivers to steal fuel through under loading or overloading trucks. Following the exhaustion of the internal processes he did not pursue his case further.
We wish to reiterate that the above-mentioned persons are not employees of NOIC/PZL. These former employees are clearly making spurious attempts to cause trouble, defame and smear the image and brand of NOIC and PZL as vengeance for being ousted from the Company after committing acts of misconduct. They were duly dismissed after due processes and have not succeeded in their appeals to independent tribunals.
