The Supreme Court is hearing an appeal by a former employee of the Social Security Fund of Rwanda (SSFR), who is suing the pension fund over wrongful dismissal. Regina Mukandangaje is requesting the court to order her former employer to pay Rwf 6m in damages. Jean Pierre Nkurunziza who is representing Mukandangaje told court yesterday that his client was illegally fired from her job. Nkurunziza told the panel of Judges that there is no way his client could be recruited by one person and then be sacked by another. Mukandangaje who was sacked in 2006 was hired by the Board of Directors, Chairman and according to Nkurunziza, the then Director General was wrong to fire her. However SSFR lawyers dismissed Mukandangaje’s claims saying that the Director General had powers to hire or fire.The lawyers said that the Director General was commissioned to restructure the institution and continue with the retrenchment process. The principal lawyer of SSFR also told the court that Mukandangaje was sacked because she did not have the required qualifications. “Mukandangaje did not have a degree, she was only pursuing it in UNLAK, a university that was not certified, the institution would not need her skills,” one of the SSFR lawyers said in court. Mujawabage asked the court not to consider the plaintiff’s plea of Rwf 6m since the institution paid the claimant full retirement package of a 12 month salary.The verdict has been scheduled October 9. Ends
