AS the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic employers have been urged to ensure their workforce is well remunerated and operating in a safe environment.
This was said by the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa after an impromptu tour of ZBC Pockets hill studios this Sunday.
Accompanied by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Nick Mangwana, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation board and the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Helliate Rushwaya, the Minister had a tour of ZBC pockets hill studios and she had a chance to hear the concerns of the workers which ranged from low remuneration to inadequate equipment. After the tour, Senator Mutsvangwa stressed the importance of providing workers with decent salaries.
“This is ZBC and it is very critical and crucial and the welfare of the employees is very critical, the board is working out to ensure they improve the working conditions and also to ensure that they look at their salaries so that they do not come to work on empty stomachs, it gives us a full picture of where, as a government we need to come in to ensure the national broadcaster functions properly,” said the minister.
Earlier on the Minister held a meeting with the ZBC board where she challenged them to ensure the corporation fulfils its mandate of informing the nation.
“As your minister, I implore that you dare not falter or disappoint in the discharge of information dissemination before you. I am addressing you at a time of the challenge of COVID-19, the global pandemic stalking humanity. You are at the frontline of the fight. Correct and timely information on health matters is the key to safety and saving lives,” she highlighted.
The ZBC Board Chairperson, Dr Josiya Tai, said as the national broadcaster they are working hard to ensure the nation is well informed.
“COVID-19 has been with us for almost three months now and ZBC has not failed the nation we have communicated very correctly very accurately and ZBC is there to ensure the correct information reaches the public am sure you can agree that there is a lot of false information out there so it is our duty to ensure the right message is communicated and so far we have been doing a good job,” he said. The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation has six radio stations and one television channel with a 24 hour news station in the pipeline.
