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Ricky Zililo, Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) board chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani yesterday launched a scathing attack on his predecessor Wilson Manase for leaving the organisation reeling under a huge wage bill.
Mukuhlani was reacting to a dossier leaked to the media exposing hefty salaries paid to ZC’s top managers.
The document shows that ZC chief executive officer Wilfred Mukondiwa is the highest paid in the organisation, with a monthly salary of $15,700.
His deputy Esther Lupepe’s pay is pegged at $10,000 followed by cricket affairs general manager Trevor Mutangadura and corporate affairs general manager Nesta Vaki, who are each on $5,250 monthly remuneration.
Former Manicaland Mountaineers franchise administrator Givemore Makoni earns $4,000 per month, which is double that of his counterparts at other franchises. Makoni is now ZC director of development.
Terry Nyakurimwa of Mashonaland Eagles earns $2,000 with Matabeleland Tuskers boss Stanley Staddon and Kenyon Ziehl of MidWest Rhinos getting $2,500 each.
Other top bosses believed to be earning more than the players include cricket operations manager Chris Chiketa, human resources manager Tafadzwa Rafemoyo and commercial officer Edward Rainsford, who are all on $3,000.
ZC’s media and communications manager Lovemore Banda is paid $2,500.
Board members Lincoln Bhila and Elisha Kandi also receive $1,500 monthly salaries as “consultants”, according to the dossier.
Mukuhlani said the outrageous salary scales, which are tantamount to looting, were approved by Manase.
“On salaries, one thing that should be noted is that they are part of a budget which is approved by a finance committee before being passed to the board. What must be noted is that Manase chaired the finance committee from 2011-14 and approved those salaries,” said Mukuhlani.
“He (Manase) created a top-heavy organisation because when he took over, ZC only had a managing director and a general manager. By the time he left, ZC had a chief executive officer and three directors, which are director of development, finance and international cricket. The directors are on the same salary scale.
“Underneath these directors are general managers, who also have their own managers. How is it that all of a sudden Manase was never part of the decision-making process for all this time that he was on the ZC board? How does he all of a sudden become dissociated with all the decisions of the previous boards?”
Manase was on the ZC board from 2006 and became a vice-chairman in 2011 and interim chairman in July 2014 until August this year when Mukuhlani was voted in.
Mukuhlani could have been insinuating that Alistair Campbell, who tendered his resignation last month, was the person who leaked the dossier as his salary wasn’t on the list.
“ZC doesn’t discuss contracts with the media because they’re private and confidential. However, out of malice, someone who had the organisation’s information is now publishing it, trying to tarnish ZC. Why is it that Alistair Campbell’s salary is not published? Is it because he is white? How much is the coach or Andy Waller getting? You can tell that the person with privileged information is the one who leaked the so-called documents with only black employees’ details,” said Mukuhlani.
He said as a board, they were working on cost cutting strategies to arrest ZC’s huge spending.
“We are looking at cost cutting measures throughout ZC and salaries are one of them. Part of these cost-cutting measures will include looking at transportation of players, accommodation of players, how many are and how effective are these people in their roles. What decision to take will depend on the outcome of the process and if we’re overstaffed, we take appropriate action,” Mukuhlani said.
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