via New board allegedly milking ZBC 27/12/2014
CASH-STRAPPED ZBC is paying hefty allowances to its new board members with one of them said to be staying in a five star hotel at the expense of the ailing corporation.
Sources said the new board led by Father Gibson Munyoro has been conducting daily meetings at Pockets Hill for the last two weeks with members claiming between $500 and $600 per sitting.
A senior staffer told NewZimbabwe.com that one South African-based board member called Gelfand Kausiyo, an information technology expert responsible for digitalisation, has set up a temporary base at Rainbow Towers Hotel with his airfares to and from Johannesburg being paid by the corporation.
The 10 member board which includes Ndabezinhle Dlodlo, Phyllis Johnson, Kausiyo, Donald Khumalo, Joyce Jenje-Makwenda, Charity Manyeruke, Rudo Mudavanhu, Cleopatra Matanhire-Mutisi and Blessing Rugara was appointed in February.
“They are daily milking the coffers of the corporation at the expense of workers. This includes Saturdays and Sundays,” said a reliable source.
He added: “Imagine some workers from lower grades only got paid November salaries a few days before Christmas while a huge number is yet to receive their salaries, this should be the board’s priority than having daily meetings yielding nothing.”
“It defies logic to spend so much money on one individual in the name of digitalisation at the expense of hungry workers and their families.”
“If you calculate their sitting allowances and the number of days spent at Pockets Hill, most of them obviously had very good Christmas presents.”
According to the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Professor Jonathan Moyo, the board is expected to restructure and turnaround ZBC to make it commercially viable and technologically sound.
“Each and every member of the board has been appointed in their own right with the expectation that they will each and all constructively contribute to the well-being and success of the ZBC not as standalone or unaccountable individuals but as organic parts of one dynamic collective.”
“The ZBC board members will support one another and work together driven by a common and unifying national broadcasting purpose,” said Moyo at the appointment of the board.
Father Munyoro and ZBC Public Relations manager Gladman Bandama were not available for comment.
ZBC has been in the spotlight for the past one year following revelations that former managers at the corporation were paying themselves corrupt salaries.
Former CEO Happison Muchechetere was said to have awarded himself a hefty perk of over $40 000 a month. The scam led to his firing and that of the Cuthbert Dube-led board.
COMMENTS
this is now a problem in almost all parastatals. the boards are sitting more frequently and claim ridiculous allowances. you would a strong and courageous CEO to counter that and still retain his position. the boards have turned themselves into executive boards. unfortunately the Perm Secs seem not to be aware or that they benefit somehow.
look at the case of the psmas. the appointed auditor claimed millions of usdollars when pasmas was said to be broke.
They always find ways of making money out of all this, that’s the game. Iamgine sitting in a meeting where maybe you contribute nothing and as you exit the door you claim $500 – more than what some professionals are earning after working for a whole month.
What is new look up in the dictionary for the meaning of a “Thief or thug”