Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. Former ZBC chief executive officer Adelaide Chikunguru, who recently resigned from the company a few days after her suspension, claimed in October 2023 that she was being harassed by the Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity Jenfan Muswere.
In a letter dated 10 October 2023, addressed to the Chief Secretary in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Martin Rushwaya, Chikunguru said Muswere repeatedly insulted her and at one point demanded that she resign.
She said the harassment was a result of Muswere’s belief that she was related to former Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa.
Chikunguru told Rushwaya that her “relationship with the former Minister Hon Mutsvangwa, was professional” and that she only met her when she joined ZBC and had never before interacted with her.
The letter, which was copied to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana, and ZBC Board Chairperson Josiah Tayi, among others, reads:
I write to highlight my concern following the new Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Publicity Dr Jenfan Muswere’s conduct.
Ever since he was appointed as Minister, I have been called to attend numerous meetings with him at times as an individual and at other times together with other parastatals.
Sir, at first I thought the meetings were procedural, him perhaps wanting to understand ZBC business as well as the broader media environment.
He also requested for various ZBC documents and reports which I availed as well as follow up meetings. In these meetings he continued to repeat that ZBC Management and Board were incompetent and had failed.
He highlighted at numerous times his intention to want to fire the board as well as myself. This is besides the reports and performance reviews by the Corporate Governance Unit which we gave him.
He further made accusations that I had not given him required documents and that I was a non- performer. He highlighted in one of the meetings that his intention was to award salary increments to ZBC staff and exclude management since they were non-performers.
I did not understand the basis of these accusations and insults especially considering that some of them were made in the presence of my subordinates. The Minister went on to say that he was going to draft a new contract for me and he, himself would set the targets.
Failure of which he would fire me because there was no reason to keep me since I am a non-performer. I have not been given a fair chance to make presentations of our performance, and even in the forums I have done this he has chosen to downplay our efforts choosing instead to listen to grapevine or “his sources.”
It is against this background Sir, that I write to raise my fears and concern as a CEO of a parastatal who has been instrumental in its turnaround initiatives. In all fairness, in just 24 months, our results are there for everyone to see, brand new fully equipped radio studios for all 4 national stations, 27 vehicles purchased within 12 months, salaries reviewed regularly although we are currently working at reviewing salaries with the last review having been in April (mind you we were readying the organisation for elections mostly without funding ZWL2 billion grant was released a day before elections) but ZBC had already self-financed the capital requirements required for such an exercise.
The Minister has asked me to resign, and I believe all these meetings that were called outside of the ZBC’s Board Chairman’s knowledge were meant to exert pressure for me to quit to the point of saying “You should just resign!”
I asked him why he wanted me to resign but I could not get a clear answer. Judging from his tone, I believe that he thinks I am in someway related to the former minister and may not have got to my position by merit. He insinuated this in many meetings.
However, this is untrue as you know, my relationship with the former Minister Hon Mutsvangwa, was professional and I only met her when I joined ZBC and had never before interacted with her. I do appreciate that Ministers can choose who they want to work with etc but I ask your good office to help me negotiate a safe exit from this position together with an exit package should my fears hold true. I ask for your help in this regard Sir, as I fear further victimisation as the Minister has already.
a) indicated his unwillingness to work with me by asking me to resign
b) said he would draw up a new contract for me failure to meet his targets in this contract he himself will draft would result in me being fired
c) continued to highlight that my board and management are failures
d) highlighted that I would not get a salary increment and that whilst all the other staff would get an increment ZBC management salaries would remain static.
It is clear to me that the Hon Minister has his own preferred people that he would like to work with, it is against this background that I ask for your intervention in this matter.
Our intention, having completed the radio studios was to move on to upgrade television studios, our partners had expressed willingness to assist the process.
If we focused on our five year turn around plan we would be good to transform ZBC into a World Class Broadcasting Centre.
However, it is very difficult under the current circumstances of endless victimisation to say if I would be given a fair chance.
I have communicated this development with my Board Chairman, Dr Tayi, who requested to meet the Minister numerous times since his appointment but was snubbed.
I thank you Sir for your consideration and I wait to hear from you on the matter. I have copied Hon Chris Mutsvangwa in the letter, as my parents are War Veterans, and I was born in the Liberation Struggle in Mozambique, I was also educated by the Government of Zimbabwe through the War Veterans Fund.
I thank you for your further assistance in this matter.
For More News And Analysis About Zimbabwe Follow Africa-Press
