News / National
Muchechetere claims $320 000 from ZBC
20 Feb 2014 at 07:21hrs | Views
Suspended ZBC chief executive officer Happison Muchechetere has written to the state broadcaster demanding no less than $320 000 in salary arrears for the nine months to December 2013, The Zimbabwe Mail reported.
Muchechetere has been joined by former general manager (Finance) Elliot Kasu who has written to Information Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo objecting to his condition of suspension.
Insiders said Wednesday Muchechetere and Kasu had written to Moyo objecting to their suspensions without pay.
"Muchechetere and Kasu received similar letters in which their suspensions were varied, first with full pay and another one without pay," one of the sources said. "They are arguing that this was a violation of their rights. Although government has not responded to their objections, Muchechetere is now demanding his salary arrears."
Muchechetere was last night not available for comment, while his lawyer Canaan Dube was not picking up his mobile phone.
Kasu referred all questions to his lawyer Peter Kawonde, who confirmed his client had written to Moyo, adding the former soldier would demand his full rights.
"It is true we have written to the ministry. We will pursue his rights including the monies owed to him which I am not at liberty to disclose the quantum thereof," Kawonde said. "I can say, however, that at the moment we have not written to the ZBC or Information ministry regarding these rights."
Moyo and his ministry permanent secretary George Charamba were not available for comment last night.
The sources close to Muchechetere said he wanted ZBC to pay his salary arrears backdated to March last year. The war veteran was earning a gross monthly salary of $44 550, while Kasu earned $26 875.
The duo, the sources said, did not get their salaries since March last year because of ZBC's financial constraints, but allowances, hence their demands for payment.
The Zimbabwe Mail is in possession of correspondence between government and Kasu's lawyers.
On November 14, then acting permanent secretary in the ministry of Information, a Gurira, wrote to Kasu advising him of his suspension with full pay to pave way for a forensic audit following revelations of abuse of authority and the management salaries that rocked the public broadcaster.
As the fall-out over the salary scam threatened to boil over and sucked in other state and quasi-state enterprises, Moyo wrote to Kasu advising him that he was now on suspension without pay.
"…serious information has come to the fore pointing to grave acts of commission and or omission on your part with consequences of prejudicing ZBC," the minister wrote. "Some of these acts include, but not limited to your having entered into a housing loan scheme with CBZ (bank) on behalf of ZBC when you have no authority or power to do so and when there was no board approval for the scheme."
Moyo added: "Accordingly the earlier decision to place you on leave with full pay is rescinded and you are hereby placed on leave without pay pending determination of the issues that have arisen as a result of your acts of commission and omission which have prejudiced ZBC."
Kasu through his Kawonde of Kawonde and Company legal practitioners then objected to the two letters, arguing they were a violation of the career soldier's rights.
"We act on behalf of Brigadier General Kasu who has handed us two letters. One dated November 14 2013 and signed by Dr I M Gurira, acting permanent secretary in the ministry of Information Media and Broadcasting Services.
"The one dated January 30 2014 is signed by you (Moyo). The contents of the letters referred above are both wrongful and unlawful in toto. This is because their contents constitute a violation of our client's labour rights," Kawonde said in the letter dated February 6 2014.
Kasu earned about $26 875 monthly salary with perks and this would amount to a staggering $241 000 from March to December last year.
ZBC has been in the middle of a salary storm, amid reports Muchechetere and his lieutenants were earning obscene salaries, while shop-floor workers went without pay for over half a year. Muchechetere and his crew as well as the board then chaired by Cuthbert Dube were booted out in November last year
Muchechetere has been joined by former general manager (Finance) Elliot Kasu who has written to Information Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo objecting to his condition of suspension.
Insiders said Wednesday Muchechetere and Kasu had written to Moyo objecting to their suspensions without pay.
"Muchechetere and Kasu received similar letters in which their suspensions were varied, first with full pay and another one without pay," one of the sources said. "They are arguing that this was a violation of their rights. Although government has not responded to their objections, Muchechetere is now demanding his salary arrears."
Muchechetere was last night not available for comment, while his lawyer Canaan Dube was not picking up his mobile phone.
Kasu referred all questions to his lawyer Peter Kawonde, who confirmed his client had written to Moyo, adding the former soldier would demand his full rights.
"It is true we have written to the ministry. We will pursue his rights including the monies owed to him which I am not at liberty to disclose the quantum thereof," Kawonde said. "I can say, however, that at the moment we have not written to the ZBC or Information ministry regarding these rights."
Moyo and his ministry permanent secretary George Charamba were not available for comment last night.
The sources close to Muchechetere said he wanted ZBC to pay his salary arrears backdated to March last year. The war veteran was earning a gross monthly salary of $44 550, while Kasu earned $26 875.
The duo, the sources said, did not get their salaries since March last year because of ZBC's financial constraints, but allowances, hence their demands for payment.
The Zimbabwe Mail is in possession of correspondence between government and Kasu's lawyers.
On November 14, then acting permanent secretary in the ministry of Information, a Gurira, wrote to Kasu advising him of his suspension with full pay to pave way for a forensic audit following revelations of abuse of authority and the management salaries that rocked the public broadcaster.
As the fall-out over the salary scam threatened to boil over and sucked in other state and quasi-state enterprises, Moyo wrote to Kasu advising him that he was now on suspension without pay.
"…serious information has come to the fore pointing to grave acts of commission and or omission on your part with consequences of prejudicing ZBC," the minister wrote. "Some of these acts include, but not limited to your having entered into a housing loan scheme with CBZ (bank) on behalf of ZBC when you have no authority or power to do so and when there was no board approval for the scheme."
Moyo added: "Accordingly the earlier decision to place you on leave with full pay is rescinded and you are hereby placed on leave without pay pending determination of the issues that have arisen as a result of your acts of commission and omission which have prejudiced ZBC."
Kasu through his Kawonde of Kawonde and Company legal practitioners then objected to the two letters, arguing they were a violation of the career soldier's rights.
"We act on behalf of Brigadier General Kasu who has handed us two letters. One dated November 14 2013 and signed by Dr I M Gurira, acting permanent secretary in the ministry of Information Media and Broadcasting Services.
"The one dated January 30 2014 is signed by you (Moyo). The contents of the letters referred above are both wrongful and unlawful in toto. This is because their contents constitute a violation of our client's labour rights," Kawonde said in the letter dated February 6 2014.
Kasu earned about $26 875 monthly salary with perks and this would amount to a staggering $241 000 from March to December last year.
ZBC has been in the middle of a salary storm, amid reports Muchechetere and his lieutenants were earning obscene salaries, while shop-floor workers went without pay for over half a year. Muchechetere and his crew as well as the board then chaired by Cuthbert Dube were booted out in November last year
Source - zimmail
