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Thandeka Moyo Chronicle Correspondent
INFORMATION, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo yesterday dissolved the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) board and sent on leave its chief executive officer, Happison Muchechetere. Prof Moyo made the sweeping changes after the board failed to meet a deadline to submit a turnaround strategy for the troubled national broadcaster which is sitting on huge debts and has failed to pay employees for months.
Prof Moyo also named veteran broadcaster Cde Allan Chiweshe as the acting chief executive officer.
Said Prof Moyo: “It is common cause that the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has for some considerable time been facing critical and managerial challenges that have not only compromised the national broadcaster’s capacity to effectively and meaningfully discharge its broadcasting mandate but which have also negatively affected the welfare and interests of ZBC employees.
“Against this background, the Ministry of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services has over the last few weeks been engaging the ZBC board and management to find an urgent and lasting solution to the very challenges facing the national broadcaster.”
Prof Moyo said his ministry engaged the ZBC board and management for most of the day on 28 October to review a turnaround strategy which the corporation had submitted to Government.
“It transpired during the meeting that the turnaround strategy, about which the ministry had grave reservations, had not been considered or endorsed by the full ZBC board prior to its submission to the ministry.
“Consequently, the ZBC board requested 10 to 14 days to agree on and submit a turnaround strategy considered and endorsed by the full board.”
He said 17 days lapsed after the commitment and the ministry received a letter from the board chairman yesterday afternoon, confirming that the board and management are not yet ready with the overdue turn-around strategy.
“In the circumstances, and upon appropriate consultations, the ZBC board is hereby dissolved with immediate effect. In the same vein, and with immediate effect, the ZBC chief executive officer Cde Happison Muchechetere is hereby sent on leave with full pay until further notice.
This decision has been taken in order to enable a full due diligence and organisational audit of ZBC,” said Prof Moyo.
He said the development would facilitate the crafting and implementation of the long delayed turnaround strategy which the national broadcaster “deserves and must now have in the national interest”.
The new CEO Cde Allan Chiweshe has been with ZBC since 1985 and is the current general manager for Radio Services.
Muchechetere and senior executives at the ZBC were reportedly paying themselves salaries and allowances of between $20 000 and $33 000, while lower ranked workers were going unpaid.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter