ZBC boss case: Tip of the iceberg

By Cathy Buckle

Across the country hundreds of thousands of people must be busy compiling their CVs at this very moment. CVs for the position of domestic worker in the employment of the CEO of ZBC, Happison Muchechetere.

This must surely be the job any of us would jump at: free accommodation; no transport costs, free water and electricity.

All this in exchange for domestic duties which probably include cleaning, washing, ironing and maybe cooking; all for a return of $2 500 a month.

That’s apparently the amount that Muchechetere is allowed by his ZBC board for domestic workers and surely he doesn’t have more than one?

The remuneration for Mucheterere’s services as the head of ZBC are staggering in a country where at least 80 percent of people are unable to get formal employment and nearly a quarter of the population are in need of food aid if they are to survive to the next harvest.

The deputy Information minister outlined the CEO’s monthly package and its extravagance was shocking: basic salary  $27 000; housing allowance  $3 000; home entertainment allowance $3 000; domestic worker allowance  $2 500; unlimited free fuel;  five business class air tickets a year; three regional business class air tickets a year and unlimited local air travel.

The allowance for just his domestic workers is five times more than a qualified teacher’s  monthly salary not to mention the pittance earned by  thousands of university graduates who sit on pavements selling trinkets and air time to survive.

Last week’s sensational Daily News headlines: “I don’t care” left us even more shocked at the despicable state of affairs at ZBC.

Muchechetere apparently said he didn’t care about press reports of his massive $40 000 monthly pay package which comes at a time when other ZBC employees haven’t been paid for six months.

It also comes at a time when ZBC has a debt of $44,3 million and 500 workers are facing retrenchment in what’s being called a restructuring exercise.

Asked by ZiFM radio if he was resentful about people looking into his affairs at ZBH,  Muchechetere said: “I’m not bothered with poor souls.”

That’s an ironic choice of words coming from the man whose colleagues are literally poor souls since they haven’t been paid for months.

ZBC apparently has a monthly income of $275 000 and with the CEO taking almost 20 percent of this for himself every thirty days, it’s no wonder the national broadcaster is in such a shocking state.

ZBC is apparently paying out $1,6 million in workers’ salaries every month so there’s obviously a serious crisis of income over expenditure and Muchechetere can’t be alone in receiving a big pay packet.

Muchechetere is the tip of the iceberg; one of the nouveau riche who has emerged from the country’s collapse.

We question how they amassed such wealth in a country crippled for a decade.

The can of worms has been opened and Zimbabweans should demand a full parliamentary investigation into the packages of the CEO’s of all parastatals, including GMB, Air Zimbabwe, NRZ, Tel One, Zesa.

Despite the country’s shock and outrage at the huge package being paid to the ZBC CEO, we must question why the ZBC Board approved it, why the ministry of Information turned a blind eye and why the GNU failed to expose it while they were in office the last four years.

Muchechetere is now on suspension on full pay and for every day that this drags on he is earning a cool
$1 333.

We wonder if he’s lying on his couch watching ZBC TV?