Harare, - The state propaganda radio and TV station, The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) has been hit by bitter power struggles following reports that Chief Executive Officer Happison Muchechetere is tipped to be appointed the new Zimbabwe ambassador to Russia.

The power struggles are linked to Zanu PF bitter rivals led by Vice President Joyce Mujuru backed by her husband retired Army General Solomon Mujuru against Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, also in the ring is Robert Mugabe's Spokesman and Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry George Charamba.

Mujuru faction has already siezed control of the Herald and in the last week it has championed the return of exiled businessmen, John Moxon, Mutumwa Mawere and James Makamba.

The Mnangagwa faction which controls the Justice Ministry through Patrick Chinamasa and the Attorney General Johannes Tomana has threatened to arrest the businessmen.

Also in the last week, the Herald has been urging the MDC led Harare City Council to sack Local Government Minister Ignatious Chombo's sidekicks in the council.

Highly placed sources at ZBC said the current three General Managers, Tarzan Mandizvidza of news and current affairs, Brigadier-General Elliot Kasu  of Finance and Administration and Allan Ndoro-Chiweshe in charge of radio were no longer seeing  eye to eye as they competed to replace Muchechetere by de-campaigning each other within the Zanu (PF) structures.

Muchechetere is currently attending diplomatic lessons for a possible posting to Russia to replace Bekezela Mphoko who is set to be transferred to South Africa to replace Simon Khaya Moyo who was appointed Zanu (PF) national chairman.

An official in the Finance, Administration and Human Resources department said Mandizvidza was now spending most of his  time at Munhumutapa offices soliciting favours  from Media, Information and publicity  permanent secretary George Charamba  in a bid to be appointed  the new ZBC CEO. 

Chiweshe and Kasu, on the other hand, were said to be lobbying Media and Information minister Webster Shamu arguing that by virtue of being war veterans they deserved the top post.

“At the moment these senior managers are rarely at Pockets Hill as they are spending most their time lobbying senior government and Zanu (PF) officials in order to be appointed CEO," he said.

A female journalist at the corporation said the power struggle had extended to the News and Current Affairs department where three junior managers in the section, Clifford Mfiri, Moses Charedzera and Freedom Moyo were fighting to replace Mandizvidza in the event that he was promoted to CEO.

“Some of the news managers, particularly Mfiri who is in charge of current affairs and Charedzera, responsible of internet news, are already clamouring to replace Mandizvidza and had been boasting that they had been promised the position by  Mandizvidza and Muchechetere,” she said.

By Radio VOP