Former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide Chikunguru, has been given a strict deadline of 48 hours to submit a formal report regarding her claims of unfair dismissal and alleged attacks by the ZBC board.
The ultimatum was issued by the board in response to Chikunguru's social media posts, which they deemed as a sustained and unfounded assault on the corporation's reputation.
In a statement released by the board, they expressed deep concern over the continuous onslaught on the corporation, its key stakeholders, and the associated reputational risk.
The board advised Chikunguru to pursue her claims, if any, through the appropriate legal channels and highlighted that there is no substance to the allegations against the board and the corporation.
"The Board advises Ms. Chikunguru to pursue her claims, if any, through the due process of the law and notes her continued suggestion that her lawyers have been briefed. The Board publicly states that there is no substance in the allegations against the Board and the Corporation. To this end, the Board invites her to execute her threats of resort to law against the Corporation within the next forty-eight (48) hours. In the event that she does not do so, the Board reserves the right to approach the High Court for a decree of perpetual silence calling upon her to bring the threatened legal action or forever keep her peace. This decision is necessary to protect the continuing harm to the Corporation's interests and those of its Stakeholders," the statement read.
The board further emphasized that Chikunguru should have raised her concerns with the board using the proper legal channels rather than resorting to social media, where she made public privileged information. They asserted that she has misused privileged documents and taken them out of context to propagate a misleading narrative, causing significant reputational and financial damage to the corporation and its stakeholders.
"The Board makes it categorically clear that at no time did Ms. Chikunguru raise with the Board, as she should have done, what she is now raising in the public domain. Thereafter, the former CEO has resorted to social media to suggest that the charges were trumped up in pursuit of a personal and politicized agenda by certain named individuals. Privileged documents of the Corporation have been made public and out of context, to drive a misleading narrative that has caused immeasurable reputational and financial prejudice to the Corporation and its stakeholders. The use of the privileged documents, albeit out of context, is contrary to her contract of employment and the relevant legislation," the board's statement explained.
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The board also made it clear that Chikunguru's resignation does not absolve her from accountability for the issues that led to her suspension.
They stated that she will be held responsible, in accordance with the law, for any loss or prejudice suffered by the corporation as a result of her alleged misconduct.
"Neither her resignation nor her media statements will stop or derail the Board from completing its investigation and taking the necessary legal steps to protect the Corporation's interests and recover any lost value or assets. The Board reserves the right to protect and preserve the integrity of its confidential documents and to protect the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and its valued Stakeholders to the fullest extent permissible at law," the board asserted.
