BY PRIVELEDGE GUMBODETE A dispute has erupted between Kingdom Five Zimbabwe; a company contracted by government to do renovations for the Harare e-passport centre, and its workers as well as subcontracted companies over unpaid wages and fees for the project.
Subcontracted companies and workers are allegedly owed varying amounts of money by the company amid claims that Kingdom Five management diverted the funds and bought posh vehicles.
Some of the workers interviewed by The Standard said they were owed as much as US$5 000.
According to a company profile, Kingdom Five Zimbabwe is part of the Kingdom Group, a multifaceted company that operates in the various sectors of the industry which include transport, civil works, agriculture, mining and property development.
Its portfolio includes projects from various sectors in Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia.
The company won a tender for the renovation of e-passport centers.
The company carried renovations at Murewa E-passport centre, Gweru e-passport centre where they are allegedly owing workers money.
They are currently in Beitbridge setting up another e-passport centre.
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“They are buying expensive cars while they owe us. It’s not right. One of the managers has a BMW parked at the quantity surveyor’s house because he has run out of parking space at his house,” one of the aggrieved workers said.
He said he reported the company to the Labour Court, and the case will be heard on August 11.
One of the managers for Kingdom Five Zimbabwe Eddie Madzima confirmed that the workers and other sub-contracted companies have not been paid.
“We have a contract and the project is still ongoing,” Madzima said.
“There are a few individuals who have not been paid and we are still questioning the nature of their contracts.”
President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the country’s e-passport in December.
Mnangagwa said the e-passports were designed to guarantee security for Zimbabweans and to reduce the country’s passport backlog.
