via ZBC boss’s feast amid penury | The Herald December 10, 2013 by Peter Matambanadzo
The chief executive of the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Mr Happison Muchechetere, who is on leave pending a forensic audit, was earning a salary and allowances totalling nearly US$40 000 per month while workers went for more than six months without pay.Mr Muchechetere, who became substantive chief executive in May 2009, has drawn salaries and allowances approximated at US$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 Cde Supa Mandiwanzira, acting ZBC chief executive Mr Allan Chiweshe, management and workers’ representatives.
Mr 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 Mr Cuthbert Dube after it failed to submit a turnaround strategy document within the 14 days it had requested.
Mr Muchechetere’s salary included US$3 000 as entertainment allowance, a US$2 500 allowance to pay his domestic workers, US$3 500 for housing allowance and US$3 000 as a general allowance.
Apart from this, Mr 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 US$27 000 plus. Over and above that, he earns US$3 000 allowances for housing, US$3 500 housing allowance, US$2 500 another allowance, US$3 000 for home entertainment, unlimited business entertainment allowance, the corporation must pay off his mortgage facility, must build a durawall, must 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,” Dep Minister 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.”
The deputy minister said ZBC should operate viably and operate within the confines of its earnings.
“We (Government) cannot support an institution, which does not relate its earnings for either staff or management to performance,” he said.
Dep Minister Mandiwanzira said management had indicated that it would ensure that workers got 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 the 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.”
Dep Minister Mandiwanzira said the Audit Comptroller General would soon issue a tender to an auditing firm to undertake the forensic audit at ZBC.
List of muchechetere’s benefits
- Salary: US$27 000 per month.
- Housing allowance: US$3 500 per month
- Domestic workers’ salaries: US$2 500 per month.
- Entertainment allowance: US$3 000 per month.
- General allowance: US$3 000 per month
- Fuel allocation: Unlimited
- 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, constructing an entertainment centre at his house and constructing a security wall.
COMMENTS
This is pathetic, what a heartless,senseless,selfish person. Any conscience in this person?
Such ill gotten wealth must be recovered from this thief of the highest order. This trend is endemic in nearly all state owned enterprises. See how most of them are looted and no one is convicted.Paying a zbc licence just to let such a lunatic fleece the funds, nada handibhadhare mutero!
The sad thing is; such a package would have had the blessing of ministers, and is only coming out now because they now realise that ZBC could go under, like Air Zim.
who signed for the package?
Ko tinobvumirwa kutaura chokwadi tinobva tanzi inhinhi pisai muromo. Kutaura chokwadi macomments edu aya dai vaitibata tangadaai takaurava kare kare. Zvekuti ava ndivo vanhu vari kuvenga technology nhamba hwani chaiyo
Sent on paid leave after all this. Why couldn’t Jonathan just fire the guy for lack of performance. Undoda lo ukhanya ebambe abanye ngamasende.
This guy is just one of how many Comrades doing the same thing. Now that there diminishing diamonds, how are we going to pay our loans to China, IMF World Bank and mai Jukwa.
I see nothing wrong with that, he was able to negotiate such a good contract with his employer. It looks like its document in his contract. Lets so the contract of Supa, Moyo, Mugabe etc. The issue of salaries and remunerations is private and confiddential. I would rather bring the judgement on the person who offerred him such a contract
This among other things has been going on since 1980. Can one imagine what is going on at NRZ ne ZESA etc. This blatant abuse of Public monies is an offence . The International Transparency group must take action to ensure the peoples money is returned to them. This can not be allowed as these thieves are respönsible for our plight today.
Why doesn’t Gushungo step down from the presidency and join ZBC, he could earn a lot more? This is a microcosm of the rot in the entire system. Hove inoora ichibva kumusoro!!! “Zvazvinodai pamuti munyoro, kuzoti muti wakaoma” – imba zvako mwana waCharamba!!! Either somebody doesn’t understand the value of the US$ or something has gone terribly wrong. Instead of sending this thief on forced leave, give him a free roon at Hotel Chikurubi!!!!!!!!!!
What’s new Svodai? The Gushungo you are talking about is the chief architect of all this rot. Each time he takes a trip to the far East for medical treatment he takes $7 million from treasury over and above countless other goodies such as living in 3 houses at the same time. These other people are just following suit.
Zim can not afford such luxury,can the board explain how they came up with such a figure and pek.
This man is suspended with pay– seriously– ZBC is paying him 27K to sit at home. I am sure they will pay him 5K to go to prison or probably a parachute exit package of a million
Ask him how much was he paying his domestic workers?
Zvakuri kudhonza jira rose. Ko vamwe vanofugeyi.
The pigs snouts are buried so deep in the trough it is a wonder they don’t suffocate themselves!
Arrest him. He must rot in jail.
This is the tip of an iceberg, forensic audit on all parastatals followed by public companies. High time people should reject the slogan: “we live for you, we feed for you”
This is just the tip of the granite rock that has failed Zimbabwe! Muchechetere is not alone given the flashy vehicles on the potholed roads. This forensic audit shld cover the entire govt and parastatals.
I think there is no error on all these figures, its only that the currency must be Rands and not US Dollars. If I add up these figures in rands it would be R39000 then in addition unlimited fuel say R10000 for his wife,small wife and kids. Somebody forgot to mention the Range Rovers and Mercs which cost R15000 just to have per month i.e. R30000 per month. Apart from housing allowance they also serviced his mortgage say R30000 and the tickets could cost a total of 5xUSD2500 int + 3xUSD1500 reg + 12x USD 400 loc = USD21800 i.e. R18000 per month for tickets. Total in Rands is R97000 which is executive enough especially for ZBC. Now he earns R390000 + 58000 = R448000 per month. It would be ok if ZBC was worth that much and if there was some left to pay the general staff. Now 6 months without salary. Wake up Zimbabwe this is a criminal case and we just talking of one senior person here. Facts Facts facts
This is a tip of the iceberg.The chairman allowed that because he is part of the gang.How much does the Chairman then earn in Premier Services Medical Aid Society(a government agency)? Check at the looting in all parastatals and you will cry. Look at GMB? etc
The culprit is the contract issuerer how can they draft such a contract against the coffers they have?that shows the entire board was rotten what were they monitoring ,covering their tracks of looting?
Zozo you are correct. The whole Board was rotten from the word go. Muchechetere did not award himself such serious $$ without Board approval.The question is ,how much was the Board Chairman earning? Sure, there was a precedent! The problem is that in Zim ,it always start from the top–The President himself and trickles down to the ordinary man in the street.
Guys dont behave as if you dont know the dinamics of labour and dispute resolution. Such allowances and salaries for CEOs are authorised by the Board of Directors that is a Corporate Governance best practice. I see no reason why this CEO is being rediculed. The board should answer the questions not him. I propose that we focuss on this material question, how much was the board of directors receiving as allowances for them to offer the CEO and top management such a lucrative package? Lets first deal with the board then the CEO on matters that he did without approval of the board of directors. Thats a Governance issue
We want an expose of ALL the salaries and perks of ALL 27 parastatals/quasi government institutions and then lets start on the government itself. This has been steadily growing worse since 1980!!! Talk about fingers in the tills!!!! The tills need to be slammed shut. Until then we starve and suffer!
Poverty in Zimbabwe is superficial and due to greediness the economy is “top heavy” i.e. the top brass 0.5% of population earn 90% of the country’s wage bill. Consequently they own most of the companies and unfortunately these are the very people who are the custodians of all legal instruments in Zimbabwe.Now if u are POVO go and pray for your poverty. Kusvika amera nyanga, zviroto zviroto, povo for poverty – muchapakutenda
If the 40,000.00 swoop is anything to go about this means that with a total of 27 parastatals, they take 1,080,000.00 or more without including Travel & subsistance allowances commonly known as T&S allowances and buildings, farms etc. Parastatals have long forgoten to apply Corporate Governance policies. Come on lets have Forensic Audit of all parastatals
Majome is right for refusing to pay her license. Paying for Muchechetere kuti adye zvake. These monies should be recovered and whoever authorised be it the body or the relevant minister should be answerable. Anga asi Shamhu here iyeyu???? pamwe aidyawo naye muchechetere wacho. dzagara dziri mbavha dzose!
the board should answer how they aproved this kind of salary otherwise this salary and peks was being shared amongst a number of people,the nation need answers,………………if cuthbert dube could approve such, how much is he getting from Psmas??????
This epitomizes what happens everywhere in state owned enterprises. ITS A TIP OF THE ICEBERG. YOU HAVENT SEEN ANYTHING YET GUYS. JUST WAIT!!!!!
And ZBC and ZRP force me to buy a radio/tv licence for programs that i don listen to o watch but to finance this nonsense!!!? Never never ever!!!
All of the above are very good comments and observation. However these comments, observation, opinions, suggestions, submission and proposals lack any real POWER. Words have no intrinsic force or energy within nor do words have any causal power.
My question to all above and all Zimbabweans, is what are we prepared to do to change the status quo??????
A quick calculation.
$40 000/CEO/month. Since dollarisation 5 years ago. If we have 20 parastatals. That is $48 million in five years just for parastatal bosses. If they each have a 5 member executive who would in turn earn half their salaries at $ 20 000/month for each executive another $ 56 million. If each executive has 3 managers earning half of that $15 million. Total $ 119 million for non performing parastatals. If we include all the other expenses this can easily come to $500million being spent on non performing parastatals.
Yet we are falling over each other to get the merits for bringing Indians for a mere $ 700million required to restart Ziscosteel. If all these parastatals were operating viably they could have financed the rescucitation of Ziscosteel.
We have the money to finance our industry but we have dumb leaders who do not know anything about management yet they claim to have degrees upon degrees.
These parastatals should be donated to ZPF cronies and let them run them. It is even better to donate the whole of ZBC to Muchechetere so that it does not become a burden on the fiscus. Mupei ZBC yacho tione akaridza majingles every 5 minutes.
What surprises me is that the former minister W.Shamu knew about all this but could not stop it since Muchechetere is ZANU PF. Thank you comrade Minister Moyo and Mandiwanzira. You are on the right track. Kana mapedza pindiraiwo nyaya yema diamonds. It is not true that diamonds are running out but just a statement for the public not to expect too much from it.
Even Moyo knew about MCHECHETERE’S earnings. Izanu kaliyazi,they are there simply to loot and milk Zimbabwe dry.As we talk it’s just talk to please the disgruntled stupid ZBC workforce.This is just the tip of an iceberg in our dear Zimbabwe. Follow the information that is revealed about these Zanu guys, when things turn sour in their marriages.How much property they will be having and the amount the divorcing wives will be demanding? To be honest with you, nearly 90% of Zimbabwe riches are in the hands of the thieving zanu pf sharks.For this reason they will cling on to power at all costs.
Masvukupete’s suggestion on parastals, managing the govt budget and industrial finance (3 birds with 1 stone).
Retrench half of the useless civil servants thereby reducing the government expenditure. Make the parastatals public companies and distribute the shares amongst the retrenchees (including land). In that way no money will be needed to finance retrenchments. Vanenge vakoniwa ku simudza the parastatals nekurima hameno zvavo. Direct the saviings to real money makers in the manufacturing sector.
The shareholders can decide to dispose of their shares earning cash today, or keep them and ensure better value through proper monitoring of their companies.
This can actually work.
Here is a good strategy for parastals and managing the budget. Retrench half of the useless civil servants thereby reducing the government expenditure. Make the parastatals public companies and distribute the shares amongst the retrenchees (including land). In that way no money will be needed to finance retrenchments. Vanenge vakoniwa ku simudza the parastatals nekurima hameno zvavo. Direct the saviings to real money makers in the manufacturing sector.
Was thinking this as a joke, but as i started writing realised this could be a real solution.
The shareholders can decide to dispose of their shares earning cash today, or keep them and ensure better value through proper monitoring of their companies.
This can actually work.
This is interesting, where was the perm sec for information-typical sleeping on the job. In most parastatals the chefs are earning beyond the revenue capacity of organisations. And the value addition from them is zilch, they are just there to eat. Well done Super and Jonso. Who had approved such an outrageous package?
All the above comments have not addressed the root cause of the problem.Michael-has slightly touched on the real issue.Parastatals have boards appointed by the relevant ministers,therefore the problem lies with the ministers and government of the day.This is why the gentleman is relaxing at home waiting for his salary, because the minister knows that he is not guilty,therefore he cannot suspend him without pay[against the law].You can only suspend somebody without pay if he has committed a category 5 offence which leads to dismissal and may lead to prosecution.The move by the minister was a calculated political move which will become known in due course,just wait and see.Remember that all parastatals bosses are political appointees to serve for a particular purpose,once he meets his target you get a new guy with a different political objective. This is how experienced propagandist work very effectively.
This is why our country is going down the drain…think about which other government organizations which we have not heard about! Its frightening. We have got this culture in the govt where we just spend spend spend and not worry about how where and when we will get the money from. Our country is being led by gangsters>
NRZ are no better I’m sure? Holding staff parties at the Nesbitt Castle and
Mugabe is the root cause of all this