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Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
News bulletins on ZBCTv are shrouded in uncertainty everyday as there are only two cameras which constantly break down after the corporation failed to buy the equipment over the years, legislators heard yesterday. The situation at ZBC has become so dire that the corporation is currently using two cameras for news gathering against a requirement of about 10.
Members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services noted that ZBC was failing to buy new cameras despite the fact that the price of one camera was less than the salary of a maid of suspended chief executive officer, Happison Muchechetere, who was getting about US$2 500 allowance for his maid.
This emerged during a familiarisation tour of the committee chaired by Umzingwane National Assembly member Cde William Dewa (Zanu-PF).
Tafara Mabvuku MP Mr James Maridadi (MDC-T) said it was strange that ZBC had gone for that long with no cameras yet it was able to pay Muchechetere’s maid much more than the price of a camera every month.
ZBC general manager responsible for news and current affairs Tazzen Mandizvidza said each day that passed their headache was the uncertainty of whether they would be able to flight the news owing to the unavailability of cameras and other equipment.
“When you have that, at the end of the day, the issue does not become quality anymore, but to have something on air today. That becomes the most important thing otherwise it may be possible that one day we may continue to play you some music because we are unable to broadcast the bulletin,” Mandizvidza said.
ZBC acting chief executive officer Allan Chiweshe said the corporation would buy additional cameras once they managed to make some savings.
Chiweshe told legislators that executive meetings had stopped with Muchechetere who would unilaterally make decisions with suspended finance director Brigadier-General Elliot Kasu (Rtd).
Chiweshe said ZBC risked failing to achieve the June 2015 digitalisation deadline having already missed Sadc’s 2012 deadline.
The corporation, Chiweshe said, required a Government grant to sustain itself.
With a staff complement of 900 against a requirement of 400 workers owing to special business units that were created but have since been disbanded, the corporation was overstaffed Chiweshe said.
He said a job grading committee set up to rationalise staff which he chaired had its recommendations shot down by Brig-Gen Kasu.
“The situation had become an administration-centred challenge. The number of support services workers are too many compared to those doing core business,” he said.
Chiweshe said ZBC risked failing to achieve the June 2015 digitalisation deadline having already missed Sadc’s 2012 deadline.
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