The Daily News (Harare)
Staff Reporter
4 February 2003
EZRA Sibanda, a former disc jockey with the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC), has castigated the State-controlled corporation for its continued refusal to release nearly $8 million in his terminal benefits, accrued over 13 years.
Sibanda, now based in the United Kingdom, said in an interview the corporation was victimising him.
He said the ZBC had paid off most of the retrenched workers in an exercise which saw nearly 400 employees being axed.
Chris Goko, the ZBC public relations executive, was not immediately available for comment. A woman who answered the telephone at Pockets Hill said Goko was on strike. ZBC workers went on strike on Wednesday to press for a 150 percent pay rise. Munyaradzi Hwengwere, the corporation's chief executive, was said to be attending meetings.
"The ZBC continues to treat me as if I never worked for them," Sibanda said. "They are abusing me, forgetting I was one of the most committed workers at the corporation for a solid 13 years."
Sibanda said he had tried to seek assistance from Vice-President Joseph Msika, but he was becoming desperate. He said: "I have sought Vice-President Msika's intervention on about seven occasions but I only managed to speak to him on two occasions. His aides always found excuses to block me from speaking to Msika."
Sibanda said Jonathan Moyo, the Minister of Information and Publicity, was not forthcoming on the issue either.
He said every time he called Moyo's office, the secretaries told him Moyo was unavailable and promised to call back.But when Moyo reportedly called him, he accused him of being used by external forces who wanted to destabilise the government.
Moyo was not in his office when comment was sought from him on Sibanda's allegation.
A secretary who answered the telephone said Moyo was out of Harare.
"When I spoke to the ZBC management, they told me that l was not retrenched," he said. "I was shocked to hear this, since I appeared on the list of retrenched workers"He said his problems with the corporation started in March 2002 when he was admitted to the Royal London Hospital for two weeks. Sibanda said this followed an accident in which he suffered spinal injuries.
"Soon after the disputed presidential election, the ZBC froze my salary without explanation," he said. "I was threatened with dismissal for misconduct."He said soon after the March presidential election, he relocated to the UK where he said he was operating a small business.
"They may be refusing to give me my money because they seem to believe that everyone who goes to the UK is working against the government," he said. "I will demand that money until I get it."
Sibanda was a popular disc jockey on the former Radio 2, now Radio Zimbabwe.
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