A former national campaign director in the National Salvation Front Party (Nasaf) Baman Zgambo has gone to the Industrial Relations Court (IRC), claiming K426 000 in unpaid salaries.
Nasaf’s President James Nyondo, who fared dismally in the 2009 general elections as an independent presidential candidate, plans to try his luck by running for presidency during the May 2014 Tripartite Elections and plans to contest on a parliamentary ticket in his home in Chitipa.
The IRC in Lilongwe has issued a statement of claim (IRC 515/2013), asking Nyondo and his party to pay Zgambo his dues, but the court has not been able to locate the party’s offices to serve them summons.
Nyondo and his party were expected to respond within 14 days with a statement of defence, failure which the court would make a determination on the matter.
The claim dated November 1 2013, states that Zgambo was officially employed as national campaign director for the party on June 9 2012, but he only received his salary of K100 000 per month for a few months.
After nine months without pay, Zgambo resigned from the party, but has been approaching the party to pay him his dues to no avail.
“When the party accepted my resignation, they assured me I would get my money, but there has been nothing up to now,” Zgambo said.
The last known physical address of the party was the secretary general Lester Chikoya’s home in Likuni, but it has since moved.
Nasaf treasury general Pastor Changa said in an interview she is aware of Zgambo’s claim, but had not received summons from the IRC.
“The president gave the money owed to him, but it did not reach Mr Zgambo. I took up the matter in November last year and I offered to assist him, but he has not been cooperative,” Changa said.
She also claimed that a second attempt to pay Zgambo failed because the money which Nyondo sent from South Africa for the purpose was used to repair his Area 47 house which was damaged by rainstorms.
She did not, however, disclose where Nasaf offices are located in Lilongwe. n
