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Harare Bureau
THE suspended Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation chief executive Happison Muchechetere isolated the ministry in running the affairs of the national broadcaster, a senior government official said in a report highlighting gross mismanagement at the parastatal authored two years ago.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services secretary George Charamba compiled a damning report on the state of affairs at the ZBC, in which he highlighted the gross mismanagement under Muchechetere’s clumsy stewardship.
The report, dated November 1 2012, was meant for former Minister Webster Shamu for consideration and possible shake-up of the entire management and to bring the national broadcaster back on track.
In the report, Charamba stated that Muchechetere never consulted or informed the parent ministry on the goings on at ZBC, a development which led the national broadcaster to the unfathomable situation it is in today.
He urged for an audit team to be sent to the ZBC to get a proper report on the corporation.
“We, at an appropriate time, get our audit team to move in as we did with New Ziana. Areas of attention must be clearly spelt out to the audit team,” said Charamba.
He was of the view that the outcome of the audit would give the ministry a proper report on the corporation and that would be a good benchmark for remedial interventions to save the ZBC from collapse.
“There are real, substantial shortcomings in the ZBC chief executive,” said Charamba adding, “A positive attitude is to view these as genuine weakness requiring remedial intervention, not disciplinary action.”
Charamba even suggested in his report that Muchechetere should spend more time at ZBC, and not on planes, to deal with challenges facing the national broadcaster and adverse inquiries from the Anti-Corruption Commission.
He also suggested that Muchechetere should submit monthly reports on the ZBC accounts to enable the ministry to keep a tab on the financial affairs of the broadcaster.Charamba emphasised on the need for communication between the chief executive, board and the ministry to be streamlined for good corporate governance.
“Above all we must win the confidence of the workforce by showing a strong hand of oversight. That will minimise the workers’ trips to the Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said.
Charamba further suggested that the ministry should sit on ZBC board meetings to keep in touch with affairs of the Government concern.
“The CEO must henceforth have weekly meetings with the secretary until such time that matters stabilise. In the same vein, the minister should have a monthly meeting with the chairman of the board at which both the chief executive and the secretary will be in attendance.”
To this end, Charamba said it was imperative that certain administrative things should be undertaken to streamline operations and restore sound labour relations at ZBC.
“Equally, the chief executive will have to readjust his personality so that he rebuilds his image and regains staff trust,” said Charamba.
“Presently he and his management have an image of persons who crave for a larger life, all at the expense of workers and sound management of ZBC affairs. That must stop forthwith.”
Charamba’s report was compiled at a time workers at the ZBC had petitioned the ministry to look into their plight alleging corporate misgovernance. He noted the breakdown of labour relations at the ZBC where workers had not been getting their full salaries when they were due.
“Management is being viewed with mistrust by the unpaid workforce. It is viewed as profligate. And flying out of the country leaving behind an unpaid workforce does not suggest sensitivity at all,” said Charamba in apparent reference to Muchechetere who at one time left the country for Tehran leaving the workers unpaid.
Last week Charamba told a parliamentary portfolio committee on Information, Media and Broadcasting Services that government would soon wield the axe on managers and staff at the ZBC to create a lean, effective and efficient team.
He said preliminary investigations showed the 47 managers gobbled about 33 percent of the salary bill.
Charamba said $4,6 million was recently released to pay employee salaries that had been outstanding for seven months.
He said it had emerged that some managers had given themselves salary advances on the basis of their current huge perks in anticipation of the cuts that are coming.
Online Reporter