The three through a letter by their lawyers, TK Hove and Partners legal practitioners stated that their transfers contravened some sections of the Public Service Commission.

However, the Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Cde Obert Mpofu, said no civil servant has the power to refute any Government directive.

“These mining commissioners are literally refusing to be transferred where have you ever heard of a civil servant refusing to be reassigned doing so is resisting a Government’s direct. One of them has even sent us a letter from his lawyer resisting being transferred while the others might follow the same suit as they are refusing to leave offices but we won’t be held at ransom-they we definitely leave,” he said.

The trio and other ministry officials’ transfers is one of the many initiatives meant to bring sanity to the mining sector that is rot with a spate of corrupt activities that have contributed to the plunging of the country’s economy owing to rampant illegal dealings in minerals allegedly perpetrated by some officials from the Ministry.

“We have it on good authority that some officials from the ministry have been issuing mining claims to undeserving individuals and we strongly suspect that they are refusing to be transferred to buy time to cover for their illegal activities. We have heard that some of them are tearing some mining certificate awarded to undeserving people.”

“I have the mandate to ensure we exploit minerals in a manner that benefits the country but one is buffled how a civil servant has amassed such wealth as some of the officials in my Ministry,” Cde Mpofu said.

BYL Manyange has however, sent the Ministry a letter through his lawyers, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans legal practitioners some provisions of the Public Service regulations while Thusi was still in office when this reporter visited his Mhlahlandlela offices in Bulawayo on Friday.

“One other matter still remains: You have instructed the police to lock our client’s office and evict him from his office. Quite clearly this is unlawful as this was not done after following due process and accordingly should this happen in future our client will not have the slightest hesitation in instituting legal proceedings against you for an interdict and damages.

“We trust that we hear shortly from you as our client is loathe to pursue a grievance procedure in terms of section 55 of the aforesaid regulations,” read part of the letter copied to Cde Mpofu, the Deputy Minister and the secretary for public service commissioner.