CIO Chief Risks Jail Over US$132K Salary Dispute
A High Court judge has delivered a pejorative verdict against the director-general of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), ordering him to pay a former employee US$132,152 or face imprisonment for contempt of court.
Justice Nyaradzo Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa ruled that the CIO head acted in “wilful defiance” of a binding court order and warned that his disregard for the rule of law was not only unacceptable but also damaging to the integrity of the judiciary.
The dispute arose after Tryness Kabiti, a former CIO employee, challenged a unilateral reduction in her salary.
She successfully secured a declaratory order from Justice Gladys Mhuri in November 2023, compelling the intelligence agency to pay her outstanding wages.
However, the department failed to comply, prompting Kabiti to file a second application—this time seeking contempt of court.
Despite repeated assurances through phone calls to her legal representatives, the CIO failed to pay.
Kabiti then instructed the Sheriff of Zimbabwe to execute a writ, but this move was blocked by a letter from CIO official Chitekuteku, who claimed the organisation’s property could not be attached under the law.
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Justice Munangati-Manongwa rebuked this defense, stating that hiding behind a pending application for condonation—only filed after contempt proceedings were threatened—was a clear abuse of court processes.
“Even if one is not in agreement with a court order, as long as it is extant and execution has not been stayed, one is obliged to comply with it,” she said.
The judge also dismissed claims that the CIO’s property was immune from execution, stating that while it may be protected under the State Liabilities Act, payment could still be made from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Notably, NewsDay reported on the unfolding legal saga, which has reignited debate over accountability within state institutions and the limits of executive privilege.
Justice Munangati-Manongwa concluded that the director-general must comply with the court order within 30 days or face arrest and imprisonment until the debt is settled.
She also ordered him to cover all legal costs incurred by Kabiti.
“Turning a blind eye to this open and wilful defiance of a court order will not only result in a miscarriage of justice but also places the integrity of the courts in disrepute,” she warned.
