Charamba rejects ZBH appointments

Charamba rejects ZBH appointments

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By Staff Reporter

PRESIDENTIAL spokesman George Charamba has vetoed senior management appointments by new Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) CEO Henry Muradzikwa, New Zimbabwe.com can reveal.

Muradzikwa was ready to announce his new team as early as November last year but Charamba muscled in after New Zimbabwe.com published the full list of the new general managers and their deputies.

Charamba said at the time: “As a matter of corporate logic, we have an interest in the appointment of people to management positions.

Government, by virtue of being the sole shareholder, has to be interested when management appointments are done.

“We have to know who is appointed to what position because that is what corporate governance requires of anyone who funds any corporate entity.”

Following Charamba’s intervention, a frustrated Muradzikwa told journalists: “We still have to clear some bureaucratic issues and problems amongst ourselves. Once those have been cleared, I don’t know when, I will be able to convene another briefing and make the announcements.”

We can now reveal that Charamba has rejected Muradzikwa’s plan to appoint Ishmael Kadungure and Lydia Mavhengere as general managers for radio and television respectively.

Charamba has also directed the nullification of Samukeliso Gono’s appointment as General Manager for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

ZBH sources said Monday that Muradzikwa was last week advised by the Ministry of Information to look for new general managers as the pair of Mavhengere and Kadungure had not been approved following a row between the acting Information Minister Paul Mangwana, Deputy Information Minister Bright Matonga and Charamba, the permanent secretary in the ministry.

A source revealed: "They have all been to senior (ruling Zanu PF) party officials and even to the President (Robert Mugabe) to make varying points about the matter, forcing the President to stop the appointments and order a new hunt.”
Gono is said to have been appointed by the board to a "non-existent" post of general manager for finance and corporate affairs when the cabinet had only approved the appointment of two general managers. She was Finance Director in the old structure, and her contract expired at the end of November, but was retained when others were sacked.

A source said: "It is believed she is powerful, and is driving Muradzikwa. Her own existence is now in doubt as ministry officials question how she remained, how she was re-appointed without their approval, and why her post was not advertised like the other two posts for the general managers.”

So serious is the fighting at the Ministry of Information it has rendered ZBC dysfunctional as senior officers continue to align themselves with the three top men, to the detriment of service delivery, workers said.

Said one employee: "Muradzikwa is in a fix. He now risks having subordinates imposed on him by either Charamba or Mangwana.”

Former ZTV CEO Susan Makore, and ex-Radio Zimbabwe CEO Allan Chiweshe
could be appointed general managers for TV and radio if Charamba has his way, sources said.

Makore had already left, while Chiweshe, Admire Taderera (ex-Power FM) are still at ZBH, albeit in undefined capacities after their contracts were terminated.
"Several other senior managers are roaming around with nothing to do and are on salary," the source added.

Kadungure is said to have been eliminated on the grounds that he was over 60 years, and his health seemed to be failing, while Mavhengere is said to lack the necessary experience to drive TV production.

Sources said the other allegation was that Kadungure was Muradzikwa’s relative, but it has since turned out that he is related to Charamba.

The source added: "As usual with Charamba, when he discovered that it was known that Kadungure was his relative, he rushed to the powers that be and said he was against his appointment since he was ill and old. There is real drama here.”

Muradzikwa is now expected to announce the new appointments before the end of the month.

ZBH workers, meanwhile, are said to be lobbying President Mugabe to appoint a substantive Minister of Information to take control of ZBH and end the uncertainty.

Said one reporter: "The problem is that Mangwana is acting. Charamba and Matonga keep undermining him. It would seem he is hesitant to take them head-on as he may not be confirmed minister. The President must appoint a minister to cut the two to size before further damage is caused. Otherwise the ZBH and the workers will continue to suffer as the bulls fight.”

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