Gweru City HR Manager Escorted Off Cemetery as Angry Workers Bid Farewell to Sewer Accident Victim
By Delicious Mathuthu
Gweru City Council Human Resources Manager had to be escorted off the cemetery grounds by Council Police, Sunday 10 October 2024, after the burial of one of the two Gweru City Council employees who died in a sewer manhole in Athlone suburb after inhaling toxic gas.
The late council employee, Mary Svinurai, was laid to rest on Sunday morning at the Mkoba 9 cemetery amid protest from council employees demanding better working conditions.
Svinurai, along with Richard Longwe who was laid to rest the same day at Mutasa cemetery, suffocated to death in a manhole after entering without due procedure and personal protective equipment.
The HR Manager, Joseph Zimusi, who refused to address the protesting crowd after the burial as several stakeholders gave solidarity messages concerning the incident, and possible solutions to prevent any other future tragedies, was escorted off the cemetery by five council police officers as a precaution.
The workers were demanding that the HR Manager addresses them with hope that he will reveal plans by the local authority to fix the protective clothing demands and salary disputes.
Taking the deceased to her final resting place, multitudes of relatives, residents and council employees accompanied the body with placards demanding that the local authority prioritises the health, safety and welfare of its workers.
Some of the messages in the placards read: ‘Tikapusa tese vashandi tinopera #WorkersRights Matter’, ‘Kushaya mask zvayo ndichipinda mu manhole’, ‘Workers Safety NO Compromise’, ‘Mari yangu mhai, ndofawo here ndisina pay!!!’.
Other placards were written ‘Isu ma landlords toda marentals kuvashandi vekanzuro’ and ‘2015 Mkoba 21 stands kusvika ndafa handina kuiona 2024!!!’.
Speaking just after the burial, several key speakers bemoaned the unfortunate incident calling for improved working conditions for employees.
Gweru City Council Workers Committee Chairperson, Bhekhiwe Jogwe, said the late Mary was dedicated to her work, which unfortunately cost her life.
“If I think of sister Mary as I used to work with her, people may be asking why she was found in such a tragedy; it’s because she was a hard worker.
“She sacrificed a lot for her work, she was a planner and we never had any disciplinary issues with her, but she was found only where work was done,” Jogwe said.
He said workers’ welfare should be prioritised.
“As workers we are pained by a lot of things happening, yes people came here but are not happy, workers don’t have protective clothing and don’t have their salaries.
“So we are pleading for liniency, especially if we have landlords here, we don’t have anything to give you,” Jogwe said, as Gweru City employees have gone for two to three months without salaries.
Mkoba South Member of Parliament, Honourable John Kuka, said the manner in which the council employees died is of concern.
“Yes people say everyone will die one day but what pains us is the manner in which the workers died.
“That’s why people are gathered here, to show their anger, concern and sorrow; we are in pain,” he said.
Hon. Kuka said the remaining families should be supported as their bread winners are no more.
“To Gweru City Council, we say this is what has happened, council senior managers and councilors who are here, please remember the remaining families.
“Most of the time when we meet like this we say things so that we comfort the bereaved but after we separate, we don’t fulfill what we promised.
“My prayer is that you remember these families, if you look at Mary, she had school going children, she had parents which she was looking after, and now that she is no longer with us it becomes difficult for the family,” said Kuka.
He said workers should be paid in time and also have tripartite negotiations at council level between council management, residents and workers.
He also bemoaned the delay in giving workers their promised housing stands from 2015 to date.
Gweru Residents and Ratepayers Association (GRRA) Executive Director, Cornilia Selipiwe, reiterated his sentiments that council workers should be a priority for improved service delivery.
“This is painful, we are pained as residents because if the community is full of sewer it means all of us can get sick.
“These people were at work, they were working for your health and mine. So our pain is that they died on the job.
“They are our heroes; only if things in our country and in our council were okay it was not supposed to end here. These people are supposed to be honoured,” he said.
“What’s worse and painful is that when you see where they died, you would feel pity. Seeing a worker without enough equipment to use.
“Seeing a worker who had the love to see the city going forward, but a worker not cared for.
“Those that are supposed to be responsible to bring equipment to use, this is the time for introspection from this tragedy so that going forward people can work with enough equipment.
“Let the spirits of Mary and Longwe rest in eternal peace,” Selipiwe said.
One of the local councilors, Tanyanyiwa Rumbe from Ward 11, said the challenges in the wake of the tragic incident will be fixed, and within a week changes should be seen.
“We are aware of the lack of PPEs and we are in the process of fixing that as Council, but as you know we are still new and we are not yet well versed on how the council procurement process works; but we promise that in the near future things will be fixed,” he said
Councilor Rumbe addressing council workers at the burial, said personally, he is going to escalate the issue to the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. Owen Ncube.
“I am very sorry with what happened and speaking for myself I say your problems are also my problems.
“I promise you that all this that is happening will be fixed in a week, I will take up this issue with the authorities to fix this,” he said.
Notable figures present during the burial include Gweru City Council Deputy Mayor, Nyaradzo Madzikura, Gweru Urban Member of Parliament Dr. Josiah Makombe, Councilors among many others.
