THE Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), which is paying senior executives “obscene” salaries and allowances, could soon collapse if there is no emergency capital injection into the struggling national broadcaster, authoritative sources said last week. The sources said ZBC was in serious financial problems and almost failed to pay workers last month.

“Ordinary workers at ZBC only got a payment of their salaries last Saturday (7 November), two weeks after month-end, after they had threatened to demonstrate,” said one worker.
Apart from financial problems, said the sources, most of the broadcaster’s transmission equipment and cameras are obsolete and constantly break down.

The corporation is now heavily reliant on innovative technicians who “cannibalise” broken down equipment to keep the public broadcaster going.

Whenever there is a major outside broadcasting to be done, it hires Outside Broadcasting Van (OBV) from private players.

It usually hires from Zimbabwe Cricket.

“It (ZBC) has no money,” said one middle level manager. “This is worsened by the fact that senior managers are giving themselves too much in allowances, salaries and loans.”

The manager said revenue from advertising dropped by over 60% in recent months following the hiking of rates by ZBC in anticipation of increased revenue inflows.

Advertisers are shunning the ZBC TV because they are repulsed by its poor programming. It still screens, repeatedly, movies, some of which were shown in Europe and America more than two decades ago.

As a result, the majority of Zimbabweans have switched to alternative stations such as SABC on wiztech decoders and DStv.

“People are no longer paying for their licences protesting against the archaic programmes,” said another worker. “Now you find a satellite dish at almost every house even in the poorest suburbs.”

He added: “These people are protesting against poor programmes and the propaganda that is churned out every day.”

Financial problems at ZBC come at a time when senior executives are said to have awarded themselves loans of up to
US$200 000 each for the purchase of houses and residential stands.

One of the senior executives is building his “mansion” in Borrowdale Brooke in Harare.

Sources also revealed that some senior managers were getting as much as US$20 000 per month inclusive of salary, housing, transport and entertainment allowances as well as fees for their children and holiday allowances.

On top of that they also get 1 000 litres of fuel every month.

This is despite that most reporters earn US$350 per month inclusive of all allowances.

The managers drive top-of-the-range vehicles that leave executives leading profit-making entities on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange green with envy.

The corporation’s chief executive officer Happison Muchechetere drives a classy Mercedes Benz, an S350, valued at nearly US$200 000.

Other managers drive the latest Land cruisers.

This is done, said analysts, to keep the managers, who are the gatekeepers of Zanu PF propaganda, happy so that they can religiously prop up President Robert Mugabe and his party.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has on several occasions accused ZBC of being politically partisan favouring Mugabe and Zanu PF.

“Zanu PF, which controls ZBC through the Ministry of Information, wants to keep these top guys happy,” said one analyst. “They are there to push Zanu PF’s political interests and this is why numerous allegations of corruption at Pockets Hills are never pursued to their conclusion.”

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) secretary-general Foster Dongozi said the union was concerned about salary disparities at ZBC. “Our preliminary investigations have revealed that managers are well taken care of while our members are getting the crumbs.”

Muchechetere denied that ZBC was broke.

He said late payment of salaries was not unique to ZBC as some companies were going for six months without paying workers.

The ZBC boss claimed that ZBC TV programming was better than DStv programmes.

“Our programmes are far much better than those at DStv,” said Muchechetere, who however failed to explain why satellites dishes have suddenly sprouted in all urban centres and growth points.

Asked about the huge salaries and perks for managers he said: “There is no trace of truth in that. If you write lies about my salary and allowances I will sue you. People’s salaries are confidential.” he said.

Renowned media analyst Bornwell Chakaodza attributed ZBC’s poor performance to poor programming and excessive use of offending Zanu PF propaganda, which drives away viewers and advertisers.

“It’s torture to watch ZBC TV,” said Chakaodza, former editor of both The Standard and The Herald. “They are not making any money because advertisers follow viewers and listeners. As we speak, they don’t have any of the two.”

Surely, said Chakaodza, people cannot pay for licences to hear that President Robert Mugabe is the “Head of State and Government as well as the Commander- in-chief of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF)” every hour of the day.

After Mugabe’s chain of “salutations” then come the “nauseating” Zanu PF jingles, which are ironically meant to entice voters ahead of next year’s elections.

A recent study by University of Zimbabwe lecturer Nyasha Mboti noted that the pro-Zanu PF jingles were further alienating the party from the public.

Dongozi said by churning out propaganda ZBC is creating a whole generation unfamiliar with its culture and history. “The disaster is that they are unintentionally promoting cultural imperialism as locals now opt for better foreign programmes. ZBC needs rebranding.”

By The Standard