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Harare Bureau
THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation chief executive, Happison Muchechetere, who is on leave pending a forensic audit, was earning a salary and allowances totalling nearly $40,000 per month while workers have gone for more than six months without pay.Muchechetere, who became substantive chief executive in May 2009, has drawn salaries and allowances approximated at $2,28 million to date.
This was revealed yesterday during a follow up meeting to discuss challenges faced by ZBC between Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, acting ZBC chief executive Allan Chiweshe, management and workers’ representatives.
Muchechetere was sent on paid leave last month to pave way for a forensic audit to be undertaken at ZBC after Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo dissolved the board led by Cuthbert Dube after it failed to submit a turnaround strategy document within the 14 days it had requested.
Muchechetere’s salary included $3,000 as entertainment allowance, a $2,500 allowance to pay his domestic workers, $3,500 housing allowance and $3,000 as a general allowance.
Apart from this, Muchechetere was also receiving unlimited access to fuel every month, five business class air tickets for him and his family to any international destination of his choice, three regional tickets and unlimited local air tickets every year.
Addressing journalists after the meeting at Pockets Hill in Harare, Deputy Minister Mandiwanzira said it was shocking that management was earning that much while workers had no salaries.
“In the meeting, some of the information that came out is quite shocking. The chief executive earns $27,000 plus. Over and above that, he earns $3,000 general allowance, $3,500 housing allowance, $2,500 another allowance, $3,000 for home entertainment, unlimited business entertainment allowance, the corporation must pay off his mortgage facility, must build a durawall, build an entertainment centre at his premises and we think in the context of reducing expenses and expenditure of the organisation these things need to be looked at,” Cde Mandiwanzira said.
He said the ministry was glad that management had taken an initiative to start cutting their salaries by 40 percent and that of middle management by 30 percent and 20 percent.
“Workers’ representatives who were part of this meeting were shocked by these numbers and they complained bitterly that the disparity between management salaries and workers were not only shocking but appalling,” he said.
“There was a suggestion that they also take a pay cut of between two and five percent, but they said they would want to consult with their constituency if they would agree to that.”
Cde Mandiwanzira said ZBC should operate viably and operate within the confines of its earnings. “We (Government) cannot support an institution, which does not relate its earning for either staff or management to performance,” he said.
Cde Mandiwanzira said management had indicated that it was trying to ensure that workers get salaries before Christmas.
“I want to assure workers that the ministry is working hard to ensure that salaries are paid at least by the time we go for Christmas. There are efforts underway right now and ministry is engaging with Treasury to ensure that there is some kind of assistance to pay salaries at ZBC,” he said.
“The entire Government is concerned with this matter and wants this issue resolved so that there is something to bring cheer to workers before Christmas.”
Cde Mandiwanzira said the Audit and Comptroller General would soon issue a tender to an auditing firm to undertake the forensic audit at ZBC.
List of Muchechetere’s benefits
Salary: $27,000 per month
Housing allowance: $3,500 per month
Domestic workers’ salaries: $2,500 per month
Entertainment allowance: $3,000 per month
General allowance: $3,000 per month
Fuel allocation: unlimited per month
Vacation: five business class air tickets annually, three regional business class air tickets annually and unlimited local air travel
Additional package: ZBC servicing his mortgage, construct an entertainment centre at his house, construct a security wall.
Online Reporter