Gubbay bounces back to head Mirror panel

Gubbay bounces back to head Mirror panel

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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S former Chief Justice Anthony Gubbay is set to chair an independent labour panel that will review the suspension of Zimbabwe Mirror Newspapers Group publisher, Ibbo Mandaza.

High Court judge, Justice Bharat Patel suggested that the Mirror dispute should go to arbitration after Mandaza approached the High Court asking for the nullification of his suspension by state security agents, the new owners of the group.

Justice Patel also suggested that a retired judge, chosen by consent of both parties, should chair the panel to look into the "propriety" of Mandaza’s suspension.

The two-week time frame given for the set-up of the panel passed last week.

The Commercial Arbitration Center has reportedly enlisted the services of Gubbay who was pushed out of office during a purge targeting white judges in March 2001.

Also in the frame for the five-member panel is Muchadeyi Masunda, a former executive of the banned Daily News newspaper and experienced arbitrator.

If the panel fails to bring the two parties to an agreement on a settlement, both parties can re-approach the High Court for a decision.

The ZMNG is the publisher of the Daily Mirror and its weekly sister paper, the Sunday Mirror.

The two papers were sneakily bought from Mandaza by state security agents as part of a covert strategy to buy into newspapers and control editorial policy, while cushioning the government from media examination.

Meanwhile, the job security and conditions of work for the journalists and other employees at the Mirror group have been slightly improved by the state security agents.

Mirror workers last week got a 60% salary increase backdated to July on the basis of their June salaries.

The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper which broke the scandal reports that the Mirror group last week got $10 billion from the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, bringing the money it received from monetary authorities to $30 billion. The company got $10 billion last year and another $10 billion in July.
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