Supreme Court reinstates PetroZim GM’s dismissal, slams Labour Court ruling as “irrational”

The Supreme Court has reinstated the dismissal of former PetroZim Line general manager Catherine Katsande, ruling that the Labour Court acted “manifestly irrationally” when it overturned her conviction on multiple misconduct charges linked to her dealings with major supplier Kaltrade.

A three-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Lewid Mathonsi, Samuel Kudya and Jacob Mafusire, sitting in Harare, allowed PetroZim’s appeal with costs and set aside the Labour Court judgment which had ordered Katsande’s reinstatement or payment of damages in lieu of reinstatement.

The Supreme Court said the Labour Court had failed to properly interrogate the evidence presented before the disciplinary authority (DA), which had found Katsande guilty of all three counts under the charge of gross incompetence or inefficiency and two counts under a second charge concerning conduct inconsistent with her employment contract.

“The decision of the court a quo was quite evidently irrational,” the Supreme Court held.