Former ZBC employee still waiting for pension after retrenchment

A former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) employee is making a desperate appeal for justice - ten years after being retrenched by the national broadcaster without receiving his pension.

In a powerful open letter, the former worker recounts the pain of being among nearly 400 employees who were abruptly laid off in 2015, following a landmark Supreme Court ruling in the Zuva Petroleum case. The judgment allowed employers to terminate contracts with just three months' notice, resulting in widespread job losses across the country - including at state-owned ZBC.

"Unceremonious in the sense that upon receiving that dreaded letter, one was immediately asked to surrender the ZBC staff card and assigned a security officer to accompany you to your office to clear your personal effects," wrote the former employee, who had served the broadcaster for 13 years.

Despite assurances in follow-up letters in 2016 from senior ZBC officials that pension benefits would be processed and paid, nothing has materialised. The affected worker - and many others - say they are still waiting for what is rightfully theirs a decade later.

In his plea, he directs his appeal to Helliate Rushwaya, niece to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and current chairperson of the ZBC board. He calls on her to prioritize the pension payments, especially in light of new funding being directed to the broadcaster through compulsory licence fees for motorists.

"Now that ZBC will be receiving a substantial amount of taxpayers' money... we hope that our TEN-YEAR wait for our pension payout is finally over," the former employee wrote.

He also criticised successive boards, ministers, and senior government officials for ignoring their plight. "It is not business as usual when a national broadcaster operating four national commercial radio stations and a national television channel fails to settle its obligations for TEN YEARS," he lamented.

According to the letter, only a handful of former employees have received partial payments, thanks to efforts by previous board chairman Dr. Josaya Tai. For the rest, the wait continues - with some having died without ever receiving their dues.

The open letter highlights the severe consequences of the delayed payments, including cases of destitution and inability to afford medical care. In a particularly painful moment, the author referenced a fellow former colleague, Simon Pashoma, who went public in a plea for help from businessman Wicknell Chivayo - a move the writer described as "embarrassing," but necessary.

With public funding for ZBC now guaranteed by law, the former employee says the time for excuses is over.

"We appeal to the President's niece, Ms Helliate Rushwaya, as the current ZBC board chair, to expedite the payment of our pensions... ZBC should change course, create content which resonates with advertisers, and give everyone a voice just like the SABC."

As ZBC begins receiving compulsory funding from motorists, many former employees hope this marks a turning point. But with a decade of waiting behind them, they remain skeptical - and desperate for action.