Heads roll at ZBC as Moyo wields axe

The problem with a job and appointments that rely on political patronage is that when the patron changes, so do your chances of keeping the job. Ask Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Chief Executive Officer Happison Muchechetere. 

After years defending President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party, Muchechetere was unceremoniously removed as CEO by the newly appointed and trigger-happy Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services, Jonathan Moyo.

Moyo also dissolved the entire ZBC board led by Cuthbert Dube, with immediate effect while Muchechetere, has been sent on leave to pave way for an audit. Allan Chiweshe, who is the general manager radio services, takes over as acting CEO.

In a statement last night Moyo said the dissolution of the board was made after it failed to submit a turnaround strategy document within the 14 days it had requested.

Moyo said it was common cause that ZBC had for some time been facing critical leadership and managerial challenges that had not only compromised its capacity to effectively and meaningfully discharge its mandate, a situation that resulted in the failure by the parastatal to pay its workers for several months.

“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 public challenges facing the national broadcaster.

“In particular, the ministry engaged the ZBC board and management for most of the day on Monday 28 October 2013 to review a turnaround strategy which the corporation had submitted to Government,” said Prof Moyo.

The minister said it had transpired during the meeting that the turnaround strategy about which the ministry had grave reservations upon, had not been considered and endorsed by the full board prior to its submission to the Government.

Consequently, he said, the board requested 10-14 days to agree on and submit the turn-around strategy considered and endorsed by the full board.

“Some 17 days have lapsed since the commitment. After making inquiries related to the matter this morning, the ministry received a letter from the ZBC chairman this afternoon essentially confirming that the board and management are not yet ready with the overdue turnaround strategy,” he said.

“In the circumstances and upon appropriate consultation, 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.

“The decision has been taken in order to enable a full due diligence and organisational audit of ZBC. This will facilitate the crafting and implementation of the long delayed turnaround strategy which the national broadcaster deserves and must now have in the national interest.”

Other members of the dissolved board are Mr Bob Nyabinde, Ms Doreen Sibanda, Mr Clemence Mabaso, Bishop Trevor Manhanga, Retired Brigadier-General Felix Muchemwa, Major-General Gibson Mashingaidze, Mr Farai Mutamangira, Mr Job Jonhera and Engineer Martin Manuhwa.

Most Zimbabweans have shunned the state broadcaster because of its stale and boring programmes which almost always defend President Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party. The number of people investing in satellite decoders to watch foreign programming bears testimony to this.